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Breaking Free from Your Narcissistic Parent
The self-empowerment gained from going no contact.
Choosing to go no contact with a narcissistic parent is one of the most difficult and emotionally unsettling experiences many of us have (or will) go through in our own healing journey. It is never an easy decision when grappling with whether or not to limit contact or interactions with a family member, let alone a parent. There will be the inevitable second-guessing of your choice, as well as the incredible guilt that will be carried with you.
Going no contact is not an impulsive or arbitrary decision, and it is not based on trying to punish our caregiver. We are not flexing our power over them or restricting communication as a game. The reality is that most of us adult children of narcissistic parents had our boundaries repeatedly violated, our sense of self-worth shattered, and our autonomy destroyed. The last thing we would know how to do is play a game that involved one-upping someone to gain power over them because we experienced having our power repeatedly taken from us.
As with most things, there’s a fine line between establishing a boundary for ourselves versus trying to control or manipulate a situation. This fine line is established when learning the differences between narcissistic silent treatment, which is based on power…