After disappearing for more than a decade , Brenda Heist turned up in Florida . Peggy Drexler : Reports show the number of moms who run away is on the rise . She says our increasingly me-first narcissistic tendencies might have something to do with it . Though there are no hard numbers , reports would seem to indicate that the number of moms who actually do run away -- or at least walk away -- is increasing . The New York Times reports that there are now an estimated 1 million women living without their children every year. Mothers who abandon their children are still judged more harshly by society .
After disappearing for more than a decade , Brenda Heist turned up in Florida . Peggy Drexler : Reports show the number of moms who run away is on the rise . She says our increasingly me-first narcissistic tendencies might have something to do with it . The New York Times reports that there are now an estimated 1 million women living without their children every year. Mothers who abandon their children are still judged more harshly by society .