All people have some narcissistic traits. It can help you become a tougher person, give you the right amount of confidence, and allow you to set limits on how others treat you.
However, there are people who take these qualities to extremes.
If you are close to a narcissist, you will notice that he or she expects endless praise from you. And that’s not all; Narcissists want to control others, usually by separating them from the people who support them. Narcissists try to diminish others’ self-esteem to boost their own self-esteem. All of these actions are somewhat offensive.
Narcissistic abuse can occur in many different forms, and victims of this abuse may find that they develop symptoms of PTSD.
In general, narcissistic abuse consists of all kinds of unpleasant actions aimed at the gradual dismantling of your self-esteem by the abuser. The truth is that narcissists don’t love themselves, so they hurt you to make you feel normal. A person with a narcissistic personality lacks understanding and empathy for others. Moreover, these people often harass others not only emotionally, but also physically.
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As with anything else, people with narcissistic personalities display mild to severe damaging characteristics.
Narcissists may not realize or care how much damage their presence causes because they are so focused on trying to meet their own selfish needs.
Unfortunately, narcissists’ toxicity can be very dangerous and cause severe psychological damage to people who are regularly exposed to it. After being released from a narcissist, people can go through a period of helplessness, distress, anger, or depression, much like what happens after a traumatic situation.
This condition is called post-narcissistic stress disorder (PNSD).
Like PTSD, PTSD is a condition that affects people who have been in a close relationship with a narcissist. Living with a narcissist can be very stressful. It can cause psychological trauma to the other person because narcissists are usually very manipulative and abusive. They try to put the spotlight on their victims and always act in their own feelings and interests.
Narcissistic abuse is difficult to prove from those who are undiagnosed and unaware of the problem.
So, in order to be able to deal with narcissistic abuse, we must acknowledge in time the terrible pain that these miserable people inflict on us.
If the damage is indeed real, we need to be able to notice the symptoms of PTSD that arise after narcissistic abuse.
- Painful memories
Like PTSD, people with PTSD can bring back traumatic memories and the person suffering from it may feel as if they are going through this again.
Common symptoms of PNSD include intrusive memories that trigger anxiety and avoidance and lead to withdrawal from social activities and feelings of hypervigilance. Such as feeling high levels of stress or anxiety, regular anger outbursts, and problems with normal sleep or carrying out your daily tasks.
Here is what scholars from the Committee on Public Education of the Royal College of Psychiatrists explain in Jochen Pieper’s book, ‘Justice Denied?’:
“You find yourself reliving the event over and over again. This can happen in the form of ‘flashbacks’ of the day and nightmares when you are asleep. These things can be so realistic that you feel as if you are reliving the experience.
Such feelings or events can damage our personal and professional lives. But, unless they have been formally diagnosed, people should not assume the disorder exists on their own.
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- Low tolerance for failure
A person traumatized by narcissistic abuse experiences an obsession with his or her own failures and inability to handle different situations.
Many people believe that a relationship has completely failed because it did not meet certain standards or did not live up to their set expectations. This is especially the case with people with PNSD. This condition comes as a response to long-term exposure to abusive treatment by the narcissist.
People with PTSD are usually eager to find answers that can solve the specific problems causing their (sometimes delusional) lack of success. However, these people’s thinking patterns are often full of self-blame.
- Difficulty adapting to daily life
One of the main signs of PNSD is the inability to recover and return to normal life. People who have lived with narcissists usually have to learn to adapt to their previous lifestyle.
Eventually, when they shake off the influence of the narcissist, the survivor may find it difficult to adjust to life again. A person who is trying to return to the usual habits of his life before he loved a narcissist may suffer from paranoia, panic attacks, or depression. They may also question their memories and perceptions.
