MSU-Meridian mental health professor ādefeats the giantā with book release on narcissistic personality disorder
Contact: Marianne Todd
MERIDIAN, Miss.āIt took 40 years and a Mississippi State doctorate in counselor education before Rosanne Nunnery saw the giant that had knocked her down her entire life as the child of a parent with narcissistic personality disorder.
āAfter that, it became my passion to help people recognize narcissistic abuse and how to help themselves heal from that exposure,ā said Nunnery, who in March celebrated the release of her new book āDefeating the Giant: A Guide to Recognizing and Healing from Narcissistic Abuse.ā
An MSU-Meridian associate clinical professor of counselor education, Nunnery signed book copies for readers earlier this month at the Riley Campus Bulldog Shop.
Realizing her trauma was a gift to help others, Nunnery took the vulnerable step in sharing the pain of her upbringing.
āIt lowers the personās self-esteem, and they lose their identity,ā Nunnery said of the mental health condition indicated by inflated self-importance. āThis book walks you through building that identity back up.ā
The mental health conditionās name originates from Narcisus, a Greek mythological god who couldnāt stop looking at himself, she said. People may suffer for years in such relationships because the narcissist thinks nothing is wrong with them, she added.
āIf they are in treatment, itās usually court ordered,ā she said, explaining that the disorder is created from a dysfunctional childhood. āThey lack awareness, insight and empathy, and they think others are the cause of everything wrong in their lives.ā
The 190-page book details common behaviors of those with NPD and how they might hide their illness.
āThey can have a public face and a different face at home,ā Nunnery said. āTheyāre very manipulative. You wonāt recognize them at first, and thatās why people get duped. They look for people who are vulnerable.ā
Nunnery said she had a sudden moment of discovery after earning her Ph.D. in counselor education at Ļć½¶Ö±²„that helped her identify her parentās condition.
āThen my book grew in my heart and in my head for about 10 years before I actually started writing it,ā she said.
āIt takes enormous courage to share a traumatic lived experience to help and educate others,ā said David Buys, associate vice provost of Health Sciences and interim head of campus for MSU-Meridian. āThis tremendous effort speaks to our facultyās commitment to positive mental health and enhances our understanding of the effects of untreated illnesses and healing processes.ā
Nunneryās effort guides future counselors, said Kim Hall, professor and associate dean of MSU-Meridianās Division of Education.
āHer courage in sharing her story offers valuable insight,ā said Hall, whose division trains mental health counselors.
In 2024, Nunnery contracted with Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, a division of Bloomsbury Publishing. āDefeating the Giantā retails for $35 and can be found in most bookstore retailers and online at Amazon.
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