The Ageing Narcissist

As the narcissist begins to get older, people eventually see a false charm and see the person as they are.

Slowly but surely, the narcissist’s social circle dwindles, one by one they disappear, and they don’t find their behavior acceptable anymore. Most people who have crossed their path have in one way or another attested to their deception and toxicity.

Toward the end of their lives, there is often not a single soul who cares whether they live or die. By the time the final curtain falls, they get what I call poetic justice, and take back what they gave to others their whole lives. As they take their last breath, there is no hand to hold, everyone who once cared about her is long gone.

Let it be karma, call it God who has the final say, call it whatever you want… I call it return.

Aging is a process that none of us look forward to, but it is better than the alternative. Most of us try to age with grace and dignity, having gained wisdom over the years.

The narcissist’s behavior tends to get worse over time. With time on their appearance and health, they know that crushes are a thing of the past. Time has overshadowed her withered skeleton. An aging narcissist can no longer rely on their outward appearance to attract new supplies.

They glare at the picture as they stare back at them from the mirror and fail to accept the aging face in front of them. Their mind is not as sharp as it used to be. What do they have left for us to look forward to? the retirement? vagueness? insignificance?

We are always told to look inward, look at how someone treats others, look into their hearts and look into their soul. What matters is the inside. What’s inside a narcissist? Nothing at all but an empty shell. As the years pass by the narcissist experiences a complete loss of exposure and lashes out at anyone unfortunate enough to be within earshot.

When to leave a narcissist alone

I have a strong belief that people who treat others badly and have no empathy or sympathy for others will not show any empathy in their later life. They have spent their entire lives abusing, betraying and demeaning others, knowing what they do, and without a second thought for the pain they cause over and over again. Former friends and partners become enemies.

If their children have not already become strangers, the elderly narcissist may try to buy their children’s love in a feeble attempt to keep them close, thinking that they may be the only people left on this earth who will put up with their malignant behavior.

Read : Coping With Postpartum Psychosis: What New Mothers Need To Know

These meagre efforts to be seen as a good parent may be welcomed by a child who has spent a lifetime seeking mum or dad’s approval. For others, it will be too little too late.

A narcissist is an immature, angry, volatile, and controlling person. They spend their lives trying to form relationships. Unfortunately, this is not a partnership they seek but a dictatorship in which they have all the power and control. Eventually, people get sick and tired of their behavior and abandon them.

A string of failed relationships adds to her already fragile ego. By causing them to abandon themselves as a result of their abusive and pejorative behavior, they are doing themselves deep narcissistic damage.

In a way, narcissists will delude themselves into believing that self-destruction is someone else’s fault.

Just like a drug addict without a supply, a narcissist cannot cope when supplies become scarce and run out. They become chronically depressed and angry and find no joy in anything. Their mischievous behavior becomes more urgent and worse by the day.

Things they used to enjoy no longer interest them. Their world has become hostile, and their social life is non-existent. No one wants to stay in their company for any length of time. Often they become hermits, closed to the outside world, blaming everyone for the situation they find themselves in. The longer the supply continues to be in short supply, the worse the insecurities and paranoia become.

The aging narcissist clings desperately to something, resentful of the passing of time but powerless to stop it. They may create fake social media profiles to stalk people, people they may never meet or talk to. Surfing the internet might give them the opportunity to get a little attention from someone, from anyone. They have lost faith in themselves. They don’t like themselves and no one likes them either, so they think, “There’s no point in being nice.”

Narcissists have a tremendous fear of their own death. With death approaching, they know complete oblivion is on the horizon. Life gives them back exactly what they deserve, loneliness and solitude. They find themselves rejected and ignored. The only thing they could not control was time. And as they move on forever, they know there’s final judgment out there, and this time, it’s not them.

Read : 5 Signs Someone Is A Conversational Narcissist

The narcissist and the disease

People will say that when they get sick, the narcissist doesn’t want to know. They weren’t interested and didn’t really care. They saw it as your problem, so keep going. So what happens when a narcissist gets sick? They will milk it for as long as possible. They’ll take all the sympathy and concern they can muster, and then some.

They will see their illness as a reason to demand your attention 24/7. Put aside any plans you may have. Your focus should be on them to make them better. After you have nursed them back to health, taken them to the doctor, collected their medication and attended to all their needs, don’t expect them to show you how grateful they are for your loving care. They are not. It was your duty after all. You could have done more.

There are times when an aging narcissist will fake illness, fake heart attack, fake cancer, in fact. Anything fake, just to focus attention on themselves. They may do it when you’re sick, they go better than you with a much worse illness than yours so they get the attention that should be focused on you.

Narcissist about their death

I am often asked if a narcissist will change when he is on his deathbed. Do they want to make things right and apologize to everyone they hurt in their lives? Some people want closure and expect a change of heart from the narcissist when they take their last breath. A deathbed apology is highly improbable. They are likely to die the same way they lived, harming others. Many will use this time to roll the knife again.

Don’t beat yourself up if you decide not to pay them one last visit. It’s a matter of taking care of yourself, a matter of self-protection. There is no point in opening old wounds to meet the demands of whoever injured them in the first place. If they wanted your company, they should have shown remorse before this late stage, and they should have behaved better.