Signs someone has gone through narcissistic abuse

Victims find it very difficult to overcome years of emotional abuse and manipulation

Narcissistic abuse is a form of psychological and emotional abuse where the narcissist inflicts mental trauma by manipulating words and behaviour. It affects more people than depression, but it goes unnoticed as there is a lack of awareness about it. Many people are unaware that a narcissistic person is abusing them and its long-term effects on their mental health.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is characterised by self-centeredness, lack of empathy, and an exaggerated sense of self-importance.

Narcissists are masters of manipulation. They can make people believe their false narratives without them realising it. By the time victim understands the toxic behaviour of a narcissist and the emotional pain that is being inflicted on them, the person has already endured a lot of mental trauma.

Here are a few signs that a person has gone through narcissistic abuse:

Self-doubt: Plagued by self-doubt, they find it difficult to make simple decisions like ordering in a restaurant, choosing what class they should join, or where to go for dinner. Simple daily choices are challenging as they no longer trust their judgment and constantly doubt themselves.

Sense of helplessness: They feel like nothing they do will make their relationship work. No matter how hard the victim tries to make their relationship work, the narcissist will always blame the victim for things not working out. And as time passes, people who go through this end up feeling helpless and hopeless about everything.

Social withdrawal: People on the receiving end of narcissistic abuse often withdraw from society. They fear judgement and criticism because of their inability to walk out of their abusive relationship. They feel humiliated by their partner's behaviour but cannot leave the relationship.

Anxiety: There suffer from a lot of anxiety and a constant feeling of being on edge. Everyone gets anxious once in a while, but a person subject to narcissistic abuse becomes numb, their vision gets blurred by the constant thoughts of self-doubt or lack of acceptance, and they feel crippled when making decisions.

Narcissism abuse is so damaging for the victim that it spoils their ability to make decisions in other aspects of life.

Depression: Many people experiencing narcissistic abuse for a prolonged period often go into depression. They feel isolated, and no one understands or believes their side of the story.

The narcissist's behaviour has terrible effects on the victim's mental health and social well-being. They struggle to regain their sense of self and confidence and face a trust deficit after being betrayed. The survivor might take many years to heal, so constant support and intervention are vital.

(Divya Mohindroo is a counselling psychologist)