Narcissistic abuse is one of the hardest forms of abuse in a relationship, be that emotional or otherwise. If you’re unable to recognize the signs that you’re emotionally abused by a narcissist, this can have a highly negative impact on your confidence, self-esteem, and self – worth.
I’m sure you’ve already met someone who is a narcissist and you know how exhausting and frustrating they are. A narcissist is a type of person who only cares for themselves and has no regard for other people’s feelings and opinions. The only thing they care about and admire is their idealized image of themselves. They see themselves as the strongest, the smartest, and the most beautiful people.
Yet, narcissists are aware of the gap between their inflated sense of self and the façade they show the world. To hide their shortcomings and boost their ego, they manipulate other people and make them feel inferior to them.
You can try to understand their way of thinking and the reasons for their behavior, but chances are you’ll never succeed in this, and you’ll only fall into their trap and become a victim of their emotional abuse.
And if you already suspect that you’re a victim of narcissistic abuse, here are the 11 signs you should look out for.
1. You have low self – esteem.
If you’re a victim of narcissistic abuse, most likely you have a low image of yourself. In fact, that’s the primary aim of narcissists – to make you think you’re not good and smart enough. By making you feel less and inferior to them, it’s easier for them to gain control over you.
2. They constantly criticize and put you down.
Narcissists are never reluctant or ashamed to tell and remind you how incapable and unworthy you are. Even at times when you feel happy and satisfied with yourself, they’re always there to criticize and belittle you and dampen any spark of enthusiasm you have.
3. You feel like nothing you do is ever good enough.
You’re constantly trying to improve yourself and your relationships, but nothing you do is ever good enough. They can make you believe in that yourself through their persistent negativity, backhanded comments, and constant downplaying of the importance of your achievements.
4. You begin to think that you’re going crazy.
A narcissist’s mind games can distort your perception of the world and make you suspect everything you’ve believed in so far. By the means of their manipulation tactics, they can make you think you’re imagining stuff and that you’re too emotional and overreacting. They can even make you doubt your own logic and sanity.
5. They manipulate you through their charm.
Narcissists posses great acting skills. To make you like them and because they know no one would accept their selfish behavior, they put on a charming face and pretend to be the kindest, loveliest, and friendliest people you’ve ever met.
But, once you like them, they no longer bother to show interest in and respect for you and your feelings because they know they already have control over you.
6. You frequently battle feeling ignored and invisible.
This is not unusual at all, considering the fact that according to them, the only person that is entitled to everyone’s attention and they care about them is themselves. You’re irrelevant to them. That’s why a narcissist won’t give you their attention and love, thereby making you dependent on them. They’ll ignore your feelings and opinions to the point you start feeling invisible.
7. Your success is never acknowledged by them.
Your personal and professional accomplishments are always a threat to a narcissist. In order not to feel inferior to you, they’ll do whatever it takes to downplay the importance of your accomplishments. They’ll make you feel like what you’ve accomplished is totally irrelevant or just a matter of luck.
8. You suddenly become anxious and depressed.
If you’re a victim of narcissistic abuse, feeling anxious and depressed is unavoidable. And this is totally expected, considering the fact that narcissists have no understanding and respect for your emotions and they constantly put you down and make you feel unworthy.
9. Empathy is a foreign concept to them.
When you’re down in the dumps or going through a really tough period, don’t expect a narcissist to understand your pain or console you. They have a complete lack of compassion and empathy. They don’t see you as a human being with feelings and needs, but as someone who only exists for the sole purpose of pleasing them.
10. Lying comes natural to them.
Narcissists neither have nor know anything about conscience. If you catch them lying, they’ll come up with a new lie. Their chain of lies is never ending. They lie about themselves and exaggerate their achievements. They’re always ready to tell even the most blatant lies in order to make themselves look as the smartest and the most capable people.
11. They don’t take responsibility for anything.
They can make countless mistakes and hurt you many times, but they’ll never admit it. They’ll shift the blame onto you and make themselves look innocent. In this way, they’ll achieve their goal to make you feel weak and easy to be controlled.
Image: Hollie Fernando
Riley Cooper is a professional writer who writes informative and creative articles on topics related to various fields of study. Written with love and enthusiasm, her articles inspire readers to broaden their knowledge of the world, think and get ready to act. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
