Recovering from narcissistic abuse can be a long and difficult journey. It is important to understand that this is not something that can simply be “fixed.” Instead, it requires time, patience, and self-discovery. With the right approach, you can learn how to heal and embrace yourself after such a traumatic experience. It is important to recognize that healing is a process and it will take time. You may feel like you will never get over what happened, but there are ways to cope and move forward. By taking the steps to heal, you can find a path to becoming your own best advocate and reclaiming your power. It is possible to recover and embrace yourself after narcissistic abuse, and it starts with understanding the steps and resources available to help you.
Understanding Narcissistic Abuse
Abuse can take many forms some being physical, verbal, sexual, and emotional, mental, financial, digital. Narcissistic Abuse is a form of emotional abuse that is used to control and manipulate a partner, family member or may even the work place. In narcissistic abuse, the narcissist uses threats, demeaning treatment, and manipulation to gain power over the other person. The narcissist will use a variety of tactics to control and subjugate the victim. Narcissistic abuse is about maintaining an illusion of superiority and power, it is often rooted in feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Narcissists often lack compassion and empathy, and will not see their abusive behaviors as a problem. To the victim, however, it will be a confusing and emotionally destructive experience.
Recognizing the Signs of Narcissistic Abuse
As narcissistic abuse can be difficult to recognize, it is important to know the signs to look out for. If you are in a relationship, you might notice some of these signs: - Your partner is extremely critical of you - Your partner blames you for their problems - You feel trapped in the relationship - You are not allowed to spend time with friends or family members - You feel as if you are walking on eggshells - You feel depressed or anxious - You feel insecure in the relationship - You feel as if you are slipping further and further away from yourself - You feel as if your partner does not respect you - Your partner is extremely jealous - Your partner smothers you with attention only to complain about giving you attention. Knowing the signs of a toxic relationship will help you build the confidence within to begin reaching out for support to leave.
The Impact of Narcissistic Abuse
When you are in a toxic relationship with a narcissist, it is very difficult to recognize the signs of abuse. Once the abuse is recognized, it can be a challenge to move past it. Narcissistic abuse can lead to feelings of shame, anxiety, self-doubt, depression and isolation. It can also result in a lowered sense of self-worth, as well as fear of the future.
Healing After Narcissistic Abuse
After narcissistic abuse, it can be very easy to fall into a state of despair and become consumed by negative thoughts and feelings. At this point, you may be asking yourself: “How do I get out of this?” “How do I stop feeling the way I do?” “How do I move forward and heal?” This process takes time, patience, and a lot of self-care. Healing after narcissistic abuse often involves confronting your pain and working through it. This can be an incredibly difficult process, but it is possible to do so. To heal after narcissistic abuse, you will want to: - Acknowledge your pain - Identify your needs - Take care of your mental and physical health - Develop self-awareness and self-compassion - Reclaim your power - Learn to set boundaries - Find a support system - Find professional help. Narc & Co's professional mentoring team will help you discover and embrace yourself and all the power within that you've lost the ability to tap into.
Taking Care of Your Mental and Physical Health
When you are healing from narcissistic abuse, it is important to take care of your mental and physical health. This will help you to reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as increase your overall sense of self-worth. It is important to take time out of your day to do things that you enjoy, such as going for a walk, reading a book, or spending time with friends and family. You can also benefit from finding an outlet for your feelings and emotions, whether that be writing in a journal, meditating, or joining a support group. You can also benefit greatly from surrounding yourself with positive and uplifting people.
Developing Self-Awareness and Self-Compassion
Self-awareness is the process of becoming aware of your thoughts, emotions, and actions. It is being able to see yourself as you are and being open to changing and improving yourself. Self-compassion is a form of making peace with your past and with yourself. When you are healing from narcissistic abuse, it is important to develop both of these. It is easy to focus on your pain and forget about the positive aspects of yourself. When you are self-aware and self-compassionate, you can move past your pain and focus on moving forward in your life. You can also use these skills to better understand your needs, desires, and emotions.
Reclaiming Your Power
Part of healing from narcissistic abuse is regaining your sense of power. This will help you not only get past the abuse but also make sure that you never find yourself in that type of situation again. To begin reclaiming your power, it is important to recognize that you are not what happened to you. This is something that others do to you. Instead, you are what you do with what happens to you. It is also important to be aware of self-defeating thoughts and self-sabotaging behaviors. These can serve as a barrier to regaining your power. To reclaim your power, you will want to: - Acknowledge your pain - Identify your needs - Take care of your mental and physical health - Develop self-awareness and self-compassion - Reclaim your power - Learn to set boundaries - Find a support system - Engage with professional help.
Learning to Set Boundaries
One of the best ways to maintain your sense of power while healing from narcissistic abuse is to set boundaries. Setting boundaries occurs when you are aware of what you want and how you want to be treated and you let others know. This can be challenging after narcissistic abuse, especially if you have been accustomed to being extremely submissive and accommodating. Setting boundaries can be easy in some situations and incredibly difficult in others, but it is important to do so. It can also be helpful to ask yourself a few questions when deciding on boundaries: - What do I need to feel safe and secure? - What do I need to feel happy? - What do I need to feel loved? - What do I need to feel important? It is also important to recognize that setting boundaries do not mean you are being rude or mean. It simply means you are respecting yourself and what you need to feel healthy.
Finding a Support System
Healing after narcissistic abuse can be a long and difficult process. It is important to find a support system to help you through this process. A support system might be a friend, family member, mentor, or therapist. It is important to find someone comfortable listening to you, understanding what you are going through, with the ability to respect your emotions and validate your experience. Choosing a narcissistic abuse recovery trained mentor, therapist or coach is valuable and necessary to ensure your recovery process is successful and that you do not repeat narcissistic relationships. A group setting can also help provide a sense of understanding and belonging that can be hard to find when going through such difficult experiences. You can also find support online in forums, communities, and blogs. Social media can also be a great way to connect with people who understand what you are going through.
Finding Professional Help
Healing after narcissistic abuse is a long and complex process that is hastened by seeking professional help. There are a variety of people who can provide you with support and guidance on your journey to healing, including the mentoring team of Narc & Co., therapists and psychologists if they specialize in narcissistic recovery. You can also find support from your doctor and healthcare team. While they can’t provide you with mental health support, they can provide you with information about mental health conditions, medication options, and general care tips. A doctor can also help you to understand any physical health issues that you might be experiencing as a result of the abuse. When you are healing from narcissistic abuse, it is important to remember that you are in charge of your recovery journey and you do not deserve to be in pain.
By Narc & Co
-Narc & Co is a professional mentoring service that provides on-line narcissistic abuse recovery opportunities at an affordable price point and is very accessible to your busy lifestyle. Contact us today for a free 30 minute mentoring appointment and see what Narc & Co can help you unlearn so you can unlock the power within you.