IS YOUR PARTNER A NARCISSIST?

Are you in a relationship and not feeling happy? Or maybe you find yourself in constant anxiety being related to your partner and relationship? Do you constantly try to please your partner but somehow it does not seem like you are doing a good job?

Here are some examples of different kinds of abuse:

• Verbal abuse. This includes belittling, bullying, accusing, blaming, shaming, demanding, ordering, threatening, criticizing, and putting you down. Note that you want to consider the behavior's context, malice, and frequency before labeling it narcissistic abuse.

• Manipulation. Generally, manipulation is an indirect influence on someone to behave in a way that furthers the goals of the manipulator. Often, it expresses covert aggression. The best example of that is if they try to make you feel ok with what they are doing even though they will not be ok if it was you that is doing the same.

• Emotional blackmail. Emotional blackmail may include threats, anger, warnings, intimidation, or punishment. It’s a form of manipulation that provokes doubt in you. You feel fear, obligation, and or guilt. They might ignore you, not look at you when you try to talk to them, and overall do what they can in order to make you feel alone.

• Gaslighting. Intentionally making you distrust your perceptions of reality or believe that you’re mentally incompetent. Calling you crazy over and over, saying you imagine things that are not happening, and denying what they said.

• Negative contrasting. Unnecessarily making comparisons to negatively contrast you with the narcissist or other people.

• Lying. Persistent deception to avoid responsibility or to achieve the narcissist’s own ends.

• Withholding. Withholding such things as money, sex, communication, or affection from you.