And how to be kinder to yourself!
In this article, I explain the differences between healthy narcissism and destructive narcissism. We all need to have developed a healthy love of oneself in infancy, the foundation for healthy self-esteem and self-confidence. However, destructive narcissism has a long lasted effect on the emotional and physical health of a child or an adult, the victim of emotional abuse (and at times, physical depending on the narcissism scale of the perpetrator).
You will get a list of the various symptoms triggered by narcissistic abuse as well as a description of the covert and the overt narcissist, same toxicity but different facades.
You may ask yourself how a narcissistic family upbringing damages your current relationships or whether you are doomed to repeat the same destructive pattern over and over again? You will get some answers to these anxious questions in the article, How being raised by a Narcissist damages your Self-Esteem and Relationship dynamics.
Excerpt, ‘ If you were raised by a narcissist, your brain has been trained to think in a specific way and accept behaviours that you may have sensed were not right but you were told then they were perfectly acceptable. You were being too sensitive or too selfish in your parent’s mind. And of course, as a child, you believed your parent and wanted to ‘please’ him/her. ‘
If you want to go a bit further, understanding your attachment style and how you ‘bond’ with people and loved ones can help you get deeper and find a form of relief.
And of course, working with a therapist who is well experienced in attachment theory and narcissism can help you identify and explore the unhealthy aspects and repetitive responses you have been experiencing. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have, and just get in touch with me! Please Reach Out, you are not alone.
Take Care!
Margareth