Narcissists are bullies! Dealing with them is never easy due to their excessive sense of self-importance, their extreme preoccupation with themselves, and their lack of empathy for any other person.
Being in any relationship with a narcissist can be troubling, but it’s total hell if that person happens to be one of your parents. That’s because childhood experiences and traumas play an important role in the development of an individual’s personality, and adolescent abuse often results in mental disorders during adulthood.
Were You Raised by a Narcissist?
Most people hesitate to talk about or identify themselves, much less their parents’ flaws, but the truth is, having an abusive parent with a personality disorder can take a toll on your mental health, and even prime you for abusive adult relationships.
You may be thinking how can a narcissist parent hurt their own child?
Well, since narcissists are arrogant and boastful people, they lack empathy and make everything about themselves even when they’re a parent.
Here’s what children with narcissistic parents go through:
- Not feeling seen or heard. Invisible.
- Not having their feelings acknowledged.
- Being treated as an accessory to the narcissist parent rather than as a separate individual.
- The child grows up with a crippling sense of self-doubt and is unable to identify or trust his/her own feelings. Doesn’t listen to their “inner voice”.
- How the child looks is more important than how he/she feels.
- Narcissist parents teach their children to keep secrets to protect the family.
- Children of narcissist parents feel judged and criticized, rather than accepted and loved.
If you think you were raised by a narcissistic parent and that has impacted your growth as an individual, the first thing that you must remember is: Do not repeat the mistakes. Counseling definitely helps.
Apart from all the suffering, in order to drive towards self-improvement, many find, ‘No Contact’ with the abusive parent is their best option. Moreover, it is important and necessary to learn from, to acknowledge, and recognize your anger.
Find ways to productively heal and rebuild your soul to fullness. Virtual-Counseling.com can help you and your siblings heal. It is okay to talk about “it”.