6 Aftermaths Of Narcissistic Abuse: How To Heal It?
How do we know if we have suffered from narcissistic abuse? What can we do about the consequences that we can suffer from a narcissistic relationship? Discover the main effects and how to deal with them.
When associated with a narcissist, people may have suffered certain abuse due to the tendency they usually show towards manipulation and deception. In many cases, the narcissistic abuse It can be very subtle, although it gets worse over time. But how can we detect it and deal with it?
He narcissistic abuse It usually involves emotional damage, which can take the form of humiliation, accusations, criticism or threats. In this way, a narcissist can deceive you or contradict you, or lie about you to others. All this with the aim of controlling the behavior of their victims.
People who have faced dealing with a narcissist They may experience different consequences, such as intrusive thoughts, feelings of loneliness or feeling extremely alert when they are in front of them.
How do you know if you have suffered narcissistic abuse?
Some signs that may indicate that you have suffered from narcissistic abuse are the following:
Gaslighting or gas light: It is a manipulation where a person intentionally tries to make you distrust your view of reality or even wants to make you believe that you are mentally unstable.
Emotional abuse: This type of abuse may include continued use of manipulation, blaming, intimidation, sarcasm, or threatening or shaming others.
Projection: It involves dumping all the problems on the victim instead of taking the blame. For example, making others feel guilty when it is their responsibility.
Use of lies: Narcissists will try to deceive you through lies in order to achieve their own ends.
Emotional blackmail: It is a way of manipulating to make others feel fear, guilt or doubts. In this way, a narcissist may use anger, intimidation, threats or punishment to try to get you to do what they want.
Make everything a competition: Narcissists cannot lose to others, so they will use everything to stay ahead of others.
They will ignore your limits: A narcissistic person will invade all your privacy. For example, he will exceed your limits even though you have already clarified them in advance.
They will look down on you: Talking about your successes or achievements will trigger a narcissist’s insecurities and jealousy. That is, when you start talking about what you want so much, they will end up interrupting you or changing the conversation.
Use of others: A narcissist will have a tendency to use the people around him to satisfy his own needs. That is, they will take advantage of others, always making them feel that it was their own decision and their fault.
These are some of the signs that could indicate that you are or have faced a narcissistic person. If you feel that this is the case, perhaps you should rethink your relationship with her or try to set limits and make them respected.
Aftermath of narcissistic abuse
When we refer to a narcissistic abuse, we are pointing to emotional abuse in which the abuser only cares about himself and may even use words and actions to manipulate both the behavior and emotional state of another person. By suffering this type of treatment, many people can end up experiencing effects on their lives. Some of the most common are the following:
Anxiety: Many people who have suffered from narcissistic abuse They live with anxiety. It is for this reason that, after experiencing narcissistic abuse, it is very likely that a person ends up feeling greater anxiety when he meets new people.
Depression: In some cases, people who have experienced narcissistic abuse They can also end up developing depression. In fact, it is very likely that after being in a relationship with someone narcissistic (be it a family member, partner or friend), people can end up dealing with feelings of worthlessness due to their treatment, something that can end up contributing to low self-esteem and to the development of a depressive disorder.
Loss of sense of self and self-esteem: After experiencing abuse from a narcissist, a person may feel as if they have completely lost themselves. This is because the treatment you receive from these people tends to destroy your self-esteem, as it makes you feel incapable of making your own decisions or even doubt your own abilities.
Inability to forgive yourself: Having experienced the narcissistic abuse, there are many victims who end up believing that they deserved this type of treatment. That is, they believe that, in reality, it was their own fault for receiving this mistreatment from the narcissist.
Low self-esteem: When a person continually belittles or manipulates you, it is completely normal that you end up suffering from self-esteem problems. Above all, when it comes to trust, those who have suffered from narcissistic abuse may feel that they are not able to trust their own abilities.
Self-destructive habits: Other effect that narcissistic abuse can have It is the development of self-destructive habits. This is because people who have been in a relationship with a narcissist often end up feeling the need to punish themselves because they may feel that they are to blame for the bad behavior that the narcissist has had towards them.
These may be some of the main consequences that you can suffer from having been in a very close relationship with a narcissist. If you feel identified with this and also believe that it is affecting your daily life, we recommend that you go to a professional psychologist.
How to deal with narcissistic abuse?
He narcissistic abuse It can end up destroying the lives of most people. Therefore, it takes time and energy to recover from the consequences that this type of relationship can have. Some recommendations to heal from these consequences are the following:
Recognize and accept your feelings: It is important to recognize our emotions instead of repressing them. Above all, we must keep in mind not to judge ourselves for what we feel in this situation.
Educate yourself about narcissism: Learning the attitudes or traits of a narcissist will help you understand what may have affected you. The important thing is to remember those behaviors that you should not tolerate in front of others.
Practice self-care: In the face of abuse from a narcissist, it is completely normal that you destroy your self-esteem. However, in the face of these feelings, it is vital to try to prioritize our personal self-care: taking care of our diet, exercising regularly, participating in activities that you find enjoyable, among others.
Go to therapy: If you feel that the relationship with a narcissistic person has affected you, it is advisable to go to a professional psychologist.
After being involved in a relationship with a narcissistic person, it is completely normal to have certain after-effects. Given this, it is vital to work within yourself and learn to respect your limits in front of others.
