When the spotlight fades, what happens to a narcissist who has built their entire identity on external validation? In this episode, Stephanie Buckley—AMFT Solution-Focused Therapist, Parenting Strategist, and host of The Path to Peace Therapy Podcast—breaks down Jax Taylor’s very public unraveling as a real-time case study of narcissistic collapse.
From losing Bravo, The Valley, his bar, and his podcast, to facing divorce while Brittany thrives and moves on, Jax’s identity is in freefall. Layer in decades of cocaine abuse, ongoing steroid use, and the loss of social accountability, and the result is what Stephanie calls “the dangerous cocktail.”
In this episode, you’ll learn:
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What narcissistic supply is and why losing it feels annihilating.
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How narcissistic injury stacks to create collapse.
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Why steroids amplify rage, paranoia, and despair at the neurobiological level.
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How family systems theory explains the fallout for Cruz, who risks becoming either a golden child or a pawn.
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Why Brittany’s thriving puts her at increased risk of retaliation.
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The long-term developmental consequences for children caught in narcissistic collapse.
Want to go deeper?
Over on Patreon.com/ThePathToPeaceTherapyPodcast, I share extended deep dives on subjects that are too layered or sensitive to fully cover here on the main feed. If you’d like more, head over there for bonus content and tools.
Resources & Links:
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Download the free companion handout: ThePathToPeaceTherapy.com
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Join the Patreon Deep Dives: Patreon.com/ThePathToPeaceTherapyPodcast
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Follow Stephanie on Instagram: @ThePathToPeaceTherapy
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