What Is Narcissistic Abuse and How Does It Affect its Victims

Narcissists can bend to any level to guard their personality, often ending up emotionally and mentally abusing their loved ones. They are defined as people driven by shame and guilt. They have a fake image of themselves.  

Manipulation, abusiveness, and deceitfulness are some of the personal traits that Narcissists possess. People, who have Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or NPD, have an increased sense of self-importance and lack empathy, which makes them feel unguilty when they hurt somebody. They think that they are special and that they deserve the best.  

People who are abused by narcissists believe in a distorted version of reality since they are constantly manipulated and deceived. They feel skeptical about everything and find it hard to trust other people. It has been proven that constant and long-term abuse can damage people`s memory, as well as their learning and thinking ability.  

Narcissists never take responsibility for their actions 

Narcissists think that they are perfect and they will never admit that they made a mistake. They will never take responsibility for their actions and tend to blame other people for their failures. They use some manipulation tactics, such as scapegoating, gaslighting, and playing the victim, and blame others for something that they said or did. Namely, they make victims look as if they are the ones who made a mistake.  

Narcissists characterize their victims as they are the ones who are abusive 

If a person is constantly exposed to a narcissist`s manipulation, their mental and emotional health might worsen. Narcissists will constantly manipulate and abuse you. They will criticize you and make you feel unstable. You will end up asking yourself who you are and what are you doing. You will feel helpless and desperate.  

Narcissists will tell everybody that you are the abuser 

Narcissists will make people think that they are the ones who are abusive. They will trick you into believing that you mistreat them. They will achieve this by explaining how you behave and overreact. In reality, people will think that you are abusive and mentally and emotionally unstable.  

Narcissists will make you put aside your basic needs and desires, sacrificing you physical and emotional safety to please them  

Narcissists will make you put aside all your dreams and goals. You will feel as if you are living to fulfill the needs and desires of another person. They will make your whole life revolve around them. You will place your ambitions, goals, hobbies, and safety aside just to ensure that the narcissist feels satisfied in the relationship. However, you will soon realize that they will not be satisfied regardless of what you do or say.  

Do narcissists know what they are doing?  

Most narcissists know what they are doing even though the victim is not conscious of the abuse. According to Erika Carlson, a professor at Washington University, stated that narcissists are aware of their negative characteristics, but they think that people around them do not see how “perfect” they are. They love who they are and they will never change.