If you have a narcissist in your life, your mental and emotional wellbeing could be in danger.
Narcissists are manipulative people who have an inflated sense of self-importance and believe they are superior. These people can be dangerous as they lack empathy and are not afraid of using the ones who love them to achieve their goals. To them, nothing is more important than their own success, fame, and happiness — not even the ones they claim to love.
Before they abuse you, they charm you.
Initially, narcissists appear charming and attractive. According to research by Miranda Giacomin and Christian H. Jordan, people tend to initially be attracted to narcissists because they mistake their narcissistic tendencies for high self-esteem. Once the narcissist gains your affection and ensures that you are vulnerable, they begin to subtly abuse and control you. At first, their manipulation and thought-control tactics will go unnoticed.
With time, their abuse will become impossible to handle.
Prolonged exposure to manipulation, gaslighting, triangulation, bullying, name-calling, etc., will unsurprisingly affect your mental health. Your self-esteem will decrease and you may even begin to doubt your reality as the narcissist gains full control of your life. Upon understanding the manipulation tactics that the narcissist employs, you will feel lost and confused.
Confronting the narcissist will only cause more harm as they deny everything.
Filled with anger, frustration, and pain, you may confront the narcissist. Pointing out the way they have mistreated and abused you, you will hope for apologies and understanding. Instead, you will receive deceit and further manipulation. The narcissist will say that you are making things up or that you have misunderstood the things they have said. What is more, they will insist that you are overreacting and behaving irrationally.
Unfortunately, people do not see the abuse that happens behind closed doors. Therefore, when the narcissist shares the way you “overreact”, they will paint you out as the abuser. Ultimately, having a narcissistic partner can be incredibly dangerous. Rather than confronting them, walk away and save yourself.
