It’s time. You’re leaving. You’ve made the decision after perhaps a long period of questioning your worth and enduring abuse.

And now you’re headed for the door, ready to never turn around again.

But wait—what’s that looming over you? The narcissist, with a trick or two up their sleeve.

As you can see—you can’t just walk away quietly.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Panic? Of course!

This is the main theme of this post, and it’s something I want you to keep in mind as you go through each point.

Related : Why Do Narcissists Use the Silent Treatment?

Panic takes over, and the narcissist knows they’re finally going to lose you.

This is where you stand your ground and make sure you keep every promise you made.

When the narcissist panics—let them. It’s nothing less than what they deserve after everything they’ve done to you.

1 They Suddenly Become Everything You’ve Ever Wanted

First, we have the perfect person making their way to you.

The narcissist wraps himself in shiny wrappings and suddenly becomes everything you need.

On the days when you tearfully begged him to be there and love you—he acts as if he does.

On the moments when you longed for him to notice you and let you be yourself without judgment or ridicule—he opens the doors to your potential.

Related : 10 Phrases to Shut Down a Narcissist

But what?

Isn’t that too little, too late?

Of course he is.

You’ve spent years wishing he was the person he initially claimed to be, and the moment you announce your departure, he finally starts showing you that version of himself.

But don’t be fooled. This is far from the truth, and you’ll learn the hard way if you stay. This is all designed to keep you around so they can continue sucking support from you.

2 They Try to Guilt You

Why are you leaving me?

Why would I leave when I need you so much?

If you leave, I’ll hurt myself.

I knew you had a heart of stone.

I trusted you.

You’ve always let me down.

This story will be true!

Guilt-baiting is a trick a narcissist perfects over time, and the phrases they’ll use will touch the sensitive part of your soul that attracted them to you in the first place.

If you’re trying to leave, be prepared to be tempted to return based on another cheap trick they’re trying to use to change your mind.

In the end, that’s all there is to it.

If they can change your mind and convince you to stay, they won’t need any other means.

But be prepared—things will get better for a while before they eventually return to normal.

3 They Play the Victim Out Loud

Don’t they want everyone to know?

The victim card is one of the most common. If you’re about to leave, they want to show everyone (and you) that it had nothing to do with them.

They’ll feign surprise as much as they’ll feign sadness, and trust me when I say that many will believe them.

Related : Things That Drive Narcissists Crazy

Imagine all the times they were wonderfully attractive in public, and as soon as they got home, they went back to normal.

These cards are designed to mislead people about the label of narcissism, but they will be helpful.

When you’re trying to say you’re the victim, there’s no evidence that all others know is that fake, sweet version of the narcissist.

4 They Love Bomb Others Quickly

If you think it’s lightning fast, wait until the narcissist finds out you’re leaving for good.

They’ll move like you’ve never seen before, pushing love toward another person in a completely overwhelming way.

That’s love bombing, folks. It’s overwhelming. It’s not natural, it’s not kind, and it doesn’t allow you room to grow as you accept it.

It’s suffocating, all to deceive you into believing it’s real love.

It’s not your turn anymore—the narcissist is changing direction and directing you toward someone new so they can bond with you, thus starting a whole new cycle.

Fortunately, this has nothing to do with you, and you can just step back and let it go. You know the signs, and now it’s not your responsibility to deal with the consequences.

5 They Start Vacuuming

Sometimes, you might be the one who gets all the attention, which is an unfortunate reminder of how desperate the narcissist is.

They try everything they can before you leave. After all, every time they vacuumed you, it worked, so why not this time?

Related : 10 Secrets a Narcissist Will Never Admit to You

The difference here is you. Draw a line and promise yourself you’ll never do it again because you know what always happens when you do.

Heartache.

Stress.

Anxiety.

Empty promises.

Insecurity.

Fear.

Depression.

Continued loss of identity.

It’s not worth it, and you’ve already decided to leave, so leave.

Don’t let someone who doesn’t want to treat you well lure you back.

6 They Threaten or Intimidate You

The worst part about leaving an abusive relationship is the backlash you may receive from your abuser. Remember, this is exactly what narcissists do—they abuse.

You may be threatened or intimidated, and it can be scary. It can also be alarming when these threats turn into threats of harming themselves if you leave, as this will make you unwilling to leave for fear of them keeping their promises.

I want you to know that none of this is true, and it’s not healthy. Narcissists are designed to keep you under their control and prevent them from leaving—they will try anything, and this is a common tactic many use.

But threats and intimidation mask weakness and fear. You made this decision for yourself, and you deserve to see it through.

Reach out to someone you trust for help if you need it.

7 They Try to Discredit You

It’s easy to spread the word as if it were the truth, isn’t it?

You are this, you are that, you are bad, you are a liar, you are a cheat; you are everything the narcissist stands for.

Related : Narcissist Hobbies that are Instant Red Flags

Smearing your reputation is a cheap way to make you look like a bad person, when in reality, it’s something else entirely.

Narcissists punish you this way because it’s all they have. It’s turned against them and affected their pride, ego, and image.

In their eyes, you can’t just escape this and move on to a completely new life without a final reckoning.

My advice to you is to be patient. Don’t over-defend yourself or try to prove you’re a good person. Those who know you well will know the truth and stand by you.

Let the narcissist wrestle with their inner demon; they are definitely no longer a problem for you.

You are now free, and you need to let the past go.