Narcissistic Parents
Narcissistic parents center everything around themselves, seeking constant praise and attention while neglecting their children's needs. This self-absorption fosters a draining dynamic where children are always focused on meeting their parents’ emotional demands. As adults, these children may choose to distance themselves, severing contact to escape the emotional depletion and restore their own well-being.
When you grow up with a parent who’s a narcissist, you are conditioned to walk on eggshells. This means you know what triggers them and you will do anything to avoid those triggers. This is completely exhausting.
The signs that your parent is narcissistic are there, you just need to be aware of them. I see all of the signs now, in hindsight, that my father had narcissistic personality disorder. I knew things weren’t normal. I just didn’t know what to do.
5 Indications You May Have a Narcissistic Parent
Narcissistic parents cannot ever be depended on, they will disappoint you every time. They use their children for their benefit. . It was gradual at first. My father used to offer to pick-up my girls from school if I needed. But then on the day, he was suddenly busy, unavailable. His commitments were always the most important even if he made a promise to me.
Everything is a competition to a narcissist and your parent is competing with you.
Narcissistic parents completely fail to provide any warmth and emotional support in the relationship as love is conditional and transactional to them.
They make you feel bad for not doing what they want immediately and simultaneously make you feel guilty by boasting about how much they have done for you.
Narcissistic parents put their image ahead of anything to do with you. They will miss important life events of yours or your children's choosing themselves.
What’s it like to have a narcissistic parent?
A nurturing parent does anything to prevent their child’s suffering. A narcissistic parent encourages it. Abused children have been taught that love can coexist with abuse. This shapes our adult perceptions of love. As we would cling to the notion that those who hurt us as children loved us, we rationalize being hurt by other adults by insisting that they love us. Being around a narcissist teaches you to feel unsafe. You are taught to live with a constant fear of being attacked at any time, for no good reason.
Narcissistic Abuse
After years of emotional abuse, it’s difficult for me to have much sympathy for my father. However, I see the cracks in the foundation of his personality. I also see the roots of his low self-esteem. This helped me devise coping skills so I could not only survive our relationship but also live a happy, functional, and fulfilling life.
Children of narcissists learn to be people-pleasers but are plagued by tremendous self-doubt. They actually feel guilt when they receive praise or recognition.
Children of narcissists frequently swallow their anxiety, discomfort, and depression caused by their parent’s words and actions. There are long-term mental, emotional, and physical effects to your health from this prolonged form of emotional abuse.
This is why it’s critical to talk to someone about what you’ve experienced.
This is why it’s so important to talk to someone after you’ve suffered this type of abuse. But not just anyone. You need to find someone who’s familiar with narcissistic personality disorder. You see, I didn’t get here by accident. I didn't set out to become a narcissistic abuse recovery coach.
But after I’d suffered this kind of abuse, I realized that my story and my experience could help so many people who’ve suffered similarly. When someone tells me about their struggles and their story, I’m not just understanding. I really get it. I’ve been there. I’ve felt those same emotions, that same rage, and loss.
I can help you.
It is critical to recognize the signs of narcissistic abuse, as it can have long-term effects on your emotional, mental, and physical health. The narcissistic abuse cycle typically involves a period of love-bombing, where the narcissist showers you with attention and affection, followed by devaluation, where they criticize and belittle you. This cycle can repeat itself over and over again, leading to feelings of confusion and self-doubt.
Healing is an opportunity.
I’d love to speak with you. Click here to book a free session with me.
One of the best gifts you can give yourself is to learn the benchmarks of healthy relationships. I can help you learn how to resist your attraction to toxic people.
You are the most important project you’ll ever work on. It’s time to invest in yourself the way you’ve invest in everyone else. Let’s start now.
I’ve had discovery calls with so many people who need help with this type of toxic relationship and resulting abuse but have been decimated financially. They have been left with little to recover and begin to heal. I’ve developed courses that take away the financial obstacles of working with a narcissistic abuse recovery coach one-on-one while still giving you the clarity, validation, and strategies to begin your recovery. Both courses are value-packed, self-driven, videos on demand to get you on the right path.
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