When you say goodbye to a narcissist for the last time, there’s an air of joy and happiness.

That’s good for you, as you dance joyfully through your new chapter without them. The freedom is unparalleled.

But for your narcissistic ex, there will be signs that they’re still hanging around like a hot day’s musty stench.

These signs may not be entirely obvious to you, but they’re always there.

What exactly are they?

Well, I’m glad you asked!

Isn’t It Nice…

If the narcissist is truly over you and moved on, that’s when the mood begins.

Sadly, that’s not the case for most of them, because they simply can’t let go.

They’re not done playing with your emotions; they want one last cry that will send you spiraling into a spiral of sadness.

Related : 7 Signs You’re Unknowingly Being Mean To Your Partner

We don’t live in a perfect world; we live in a world where we should strive to survive.

What Is It Meaning To Be Over You?

Because the last thing I want to do is confuse you.

When I say getting over you, what I really mean is getting over what you offer the narcissist.

It’s not about love. They’re not “over you.” They don’t continue to love you, and they can’t see a life without you because they thought you were the right person.

This is more about the things you did for them. How easy it was to manipulate you. How forgiving you were. How nice it was to know they could control you.

Getting over the lack of that in their life will be difficult.

The signs of a narcissist are painfully obvious.

1_Random_Contact

Just a little…

Maybe just one…

It’s okay…

Hey. It’s just…

No. No, no, and not again.

What may seem random to you may be more calculated to the narcissist. They’ve plotted, planned, and reviewed everything a thousand times.

These random attempts are designed only to catch you off guard, so you don’t know what to say or how to react.

As a nice person, you’ll naturally be willing to give them time and let them do what they’re trying to do.

Which brings me to…

No!

2 Social Media Stalking

A quick look at your profile (if it’s still up, I can use this opportunity to block you).

For a narcissist, old habits die hard. They don’t want you to go anywhere, and they’ve gotten so used to your presence that they’ll still check you out on social media.

Related : 9 Awkward Reasons Why Narcissists Enjoy Dating Other Narcissists

They want to know if you’re struggling without them, or if you’re thriving. They’ll kind of want to see both, because if you’re thriving, they might find ways to sabotage things.

My advice is the block-and-lock method.

Block them, and make your online profiles private so they won’t be tempted to create a fake profile and monitor you from afar.

This also goes for all suspicious people! Block and lock them.

3 Bad Talk About You

You hear it through rumors, and you try to ignore it, but you feel a sense of injustice when your name is mentioned.

You know you didn’t do anything wrong, which is why so many victims suffer after the relationship.

You’ve likely started researching the narcissist, or even sought therapy.

You’ve learned it’s not your fault, but at the same time, you still have to deal with the negative talk about you.

It’s really hard to get out of this level of imbalance, but the key is repetition.

Knowing you’re not to blame is what makes you more confident.

And any talk you overhear, you can overcome by simply believing you’re the good one in all of this.

All the bad talk does is prove that the narcissist isn’t over you yet.

4 Activate Victim Mode

What do you hear through rumors? Does the narcissist offer everyone they know a side dish from their own violin?

Don’t be surprised if this is the case—it’s what they do to gain people’s sympathy.

I was so happy.

They were the right person for me.

I did everything I could.

I just wanted it to work.

I saw eternity in their eyes.

I did my best to be a loving partner.

It would be that way, and more. In fact, the more articulate, the better.

I don’t want you to take any responsibility for what the narcissist says at times like these.

Related : 12 Ways To Unsettle Narcissists

They will lie outright if it means people feel sorry for them and angry with you.

It’s just a childish signal that they’re not over you yet.

5 Jealousy Attempts

If you start a new relationship, be prepared for the narcissist to show up in random places where they know you’ll be with them. You might receive texts saying things like:

I hope they know what they’re getting themselves into.

It’s never going to last.

They’re never going to love you.

And so on. They want to plant doubt in your mind, to make you feel like you’re not good enough before you’ve even tried.

They don’t really want you, but they’re not over the end of your relationship, and the idea of ​​seeing you alone makes them feel good.

6 Inside Jokes and Old Memories That Resurface

Beware of being flagged on social media or receiving text messages.

Snapshots of old photos, songs, places you’ve been together, things you’ve done, adventures you’ve had—anything.

Old jokes will pop up and be sent to you to make you feel that attraction.

Don’t let the attraction drag you back.

7 They Contact Those Around You

Danger!

Warning!

The narcissist suddenly wants to be part of their inner circle.

Why?!

This is very bad news unless you know how to handle it. By that, I mean, you have to be a few steps ahead.

Alert your friends and family that this might happen, and ask them to keep their distance and set boundaries as much as possible.

Related : 15 Things That Are Emotionally Abusive

You have to protect yourself more.

8 They pretend they’re over it, but it’s too much.

They protest a lot, right?

This is because the narcissist wants to hide their hurt with pride.

They’ll pretend they don’t care at all, but they’ll raise their voices to the maximum—making it clear they were embarrassed when you left.

If you see your narcissistic ex-partner this way, they likely still want to be a part of your life for a while.

This isn’t your problem. It just shows how insecure they are about being alone now that you’re gone, carrying everything you have with you.

It’s no different than seeing them leave the door open for you in case you return.

The cycle of abuse takes a toll on victims, but the only thing you can do is give yourself time to prove that you don’t need them in your life. This attachment was manipulated and man-made to keep you close.