Narcissistic Abuse Recovery
Rediscover your voice, your truth, your worth.
What are characteristics of a narcissist?
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Grandiose Self-View: Narcissists exaggerate their achievements and expect recognition, even without proportional accomplishments.
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Preoccupation with Success: Narcissists are obsessed with having the perfect life, including, financial achievement, power, social status, and physical attractiveness.
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Believe Special: Narcissists believe they are so special/unique that only other special/unique people can relate.
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Need Admiration: Narcissists have a fragile sense of self and require constant admiration to boost themselves up.
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Entitlement: Narcissists believe they deserve special treatment and that others should automatically comply with their demands.
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Interpersonally Exploitative: Narcissists tend to form relationships that benefit them, using others for their own gain and showing little genuine care for others.
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Lack Empathy: Narcissists have difficulty recognizing and caring about others’ emotional needs.
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Jealous/Envious: Narcissists often compare themselves to others and are envious of others’ success. Similarly, they believe others are envious of them.
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Arrogant: Narcissists project a sense of superiority over others and act condescending, rude, or snobbish toward those they perceive as lesser.
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What does a narcissistic
parent look like?
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They have to be the best
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They take credit for your accomplishments
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They need to maintain a perfect family image
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They guilt trip to get what they want
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Their love feels conditional
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They’re critical and controlling
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They play favorites as a way to maintain power and control
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If you want to spend time with them, it’s on their time and their terms
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They embarrass you to boost their own ego
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They don’t respect your boundaries
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They expect you to take care of them
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What does a narcissistic partner look like?
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They can be charismatic and charming, at least in the beginning
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They provide lots of affection and gifts, particularly in the beginning of relationships (sometimes called ‘love bombing’), in an effort to build intimacy and trust quickly
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They gaslight and invalidate your feelings and experiences
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They have a tendency to hold grudges and seek revenge
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They’re co-dependent
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They’ll use your friends or kids against you in an argument
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They talk down to you and treat you like a child
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They try to control your relationships, finances, and decision making
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Their expectations constantly change and nothing you do seems good enough (i.e., constantly changing the goalposts)
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There’s no room for disagreement and definitively no criticism
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Your world revolves around them
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You can never win
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How can narcissistic abuse impact you?
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Always focusing on your narcissistic parent/partner can lead to:
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Loss of self/individual identity
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People pleasing / Tendency to focus on other’s needs
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Loss of connection with others
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The need to be perfect and meet the narcissist's expectations can lead to:
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Competitiveness
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Overachieving
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Perfectionism
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Repeated criticism, striving for perfectionism, and failure to meet unreasonable expectations can lead to:
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Anxiety
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Low self-esteem
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Depression
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Conditional love and emotional abuse can lead to:
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Co-dependency
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Being on the receiving end of narcissistic rage and emotional abuse can lead to:
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Difficulty managing and expressing emotions
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How can narcissistic abuse counseling help?
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Process the relationship and emotional trauma
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Explore emotional triggers and how this may impact current relationships
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Learn to recognize signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships
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Set boundaries and prioritize your own needs
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Build other support systems
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Learn radical acceptance. This doesn’t mean accepting the narcissist’s behavior as okay, but accepting that they’re unlikely to change​
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