Member-only story
Narcissistic Abuse — I Reject the Victim Mindset, and So Might You
Move your recovery from the past to the present.
Who am I?
I am a woman in her 50s living her best life. The path to get here was winding and sometimes difficult, but the lessons learned made the story so sweet. I now write about expat life, art, dating, and relationships.
Almost 5 years ago, I left an abusive relationship with a man I believe has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). I am not a qualified psychiatrist, nor will he likely receive an official diagnosis. I speak from 17 years of lived experience and the following years of recovery and reflection. What I present is my truth.
Why is a relationship with a narcissist so insidious and toxic? Aren’t narcissists just Assholes?
Well, all narcissists are assholes, but not all assholes are narcissists.
A person with NPD is not capable of empathy, intimacy, or authentic feelings of love…. which is truly terrible for them. Imagine! However, it is the lack of these very human qualities that also makes them dangerous from a relationship point of view. In fact, they fall into the category of psychopaths.
