Living or working with a Narcissist
Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a mental disorder. But how many people who live with a narcissist don’t realise what they are dealing with, what they face on a day to day basis and how their life and more importantly their mental health is being manipulated.
One moment adulation and statements of love and affection and then the next, ridicule, hurt, put downs and totally stripping the person of their self worth.
See if any of these traits fit the person you live with. It could be your mother, father, a sibling, spouse or someone at work.
- fantasies of being someone of importance, highly intelligent and well qualified, incredibly attractive etc
- believing that they are superior to everyone else and that they deserve that recognition
- very needy and demanding constant affection and praise
- being entitled and expecting total obedience from others around especially family
- exploitation of other so that they can reach their goals
- intense jealousy of others especially those who they see might upstage them
- belief that people are jealous of them and those people are only to be pitied
- arrogant attitude
- can’t cope with loosing in a game or in business etc
- blaming others for their mistakes – never being able to say sorry
- gas lighting – e.g saying that someone had done something or said something and they hadn’t, thereby confusing the sufferer
Symptoms of someone suffering from narcissistic abuse
- anxiety and depression
- always trying to please and keep the peace
- extremely low self belief and esteem
- weak personal boundaries
- never trusting anyone or the process of life
- attachment issues
- feeling that everything is their fault
- self criticism and thinking no one likes them
- problems with addictions
- everyone is better than them.
- addictions can ensue and comfort eating
Is there a way out?
Sabina has studied narcassism at length and will be able to help anyone who believes that they are suffering as a result of the continuing mental and sometime physical abuse.
The sooner you get help the better – don’t leave it and hope it will get better – IT WON’T. The abuser will never change if they are high on the spectrum of narcassism for the simple reason that don’t believe there is anything wrong with them. Lower down the spectrum then the narcissist maybe open to therapy and understanding how their actions are affecting people around them.