how to help my brother whose wife has NPD?

My sister in law is verbally and mentally abusive to my brother, and is secretive, manipulative, and jealous in her relations with the rest of our family and with her co-workers. She exhibits most of the traits of NPD.

She regularly threatens him with taking their four children out of state and leaving him penniless if he doesn't comply with her various demands. He keeps trying and trying to do whatever it takes to make her love him, but nothing changes. He doesn't want a divorce because of the kids who are all under the age of 7.

About once every 6 months, my brother will confide to a close family member about how miserable he is. But 24 hours later, he denies that he broke down, and downplays the extent of the problem. He never goes to the same person twice to tell his tale of woe. (He is running out of siblings , etc. to talk to so this may change.)

Has anyone in this forum give me some advice about how to approach the subject of getting his life back under his own control? He wouldn't think to put a label like NPD (or anything else) on her behavior. Tweet