Being in any relationship with someone who suffers from narcissistic personality disorder can be, without a doubt, an immensely grueling and life draining, experience.
A narcissist would rather lose a limb than lose control. They’ll manipulate and lie to get their way, even if it is a bad idea and they know it. A narcissist will never let anyone prove them wrong because they are perpetually driven by their fake sense of inflated self-worth.
The worst part is, they won’t let you escape, easily.
Rock it! The Best Way to Escape
If you have a narcissist in your life, freeing yourself from their manipulative clutches can be a challenging task. The universal recommendation on surviving narcissistic abuse it to completely cut off all communication, block the sociopath from every social media account, and go absolutely ‘no contact’ or cold turkey.
However, in some scenarios, this technique isn’t feasible and may not be an option (you share minor children. They are in the cubicle next to you…).
Must you endure their abuse, for all eternity and then some??? No. Not if you know how to grey rock your way out.
To implement this technique, the one being abused needs to become as unremarkable, dull, and forgettable for the abuser, as a grey rock; emphasis on consistency.
The fact is, psychological abusers such as narcissists crave drama and chaos in all their interactions. They are always on the prowl for their next fix of attention and drama – good or bad, they will take any. With the grey rock technique, you deprive them of attention and do not engage in their drama. Soon, if consistent, they will begin to look elsewhere, for a new target and source willing to fulfill their drug-like addiction to attention.
Keep your conversations to the point and don’t indulge in dialogue, unless absolutely necessary. If there’s no need for a reply or talking to them, don’t. Don’t take the bait.
You can still maintain the minimal “required” contact by ensuring all your interactions are a bare and boring minimum. Avoid interaction whenever possible.
If they try to persuade you into talking by passing judgments such as “you’ve become boring”, just smile, nod, agree with them, and move on. Definitely do not divulge any personal details about yourself and your life. Don’t take the bait when they lash out even more, initially, as a result of your new tactics. They are starving for attention and will need to find a new victim, quickly. They may angrily discard you claiming their new “friend” (victim) is everything you never were. Be thankful!
Your therapist can help support you as you “rock” yourself away from the never-ending emotional baiting rollercoaster of abuse.
You CAN do it!