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Relationship
Swarnakshi Sharma May 15th, 2022 · 6min read

Healing After Narcissistic Abuse: 7 Tips To Help You Recover

People with narcissistic traits often show patterns of emotional abuse or verbal abuse born out of narcissistic manipulation. This kind of emotional abuse can be termed narcissistic abuse. If you’ve been in a relationship with someone with narcissistic traits or narcissistic personality disorder, then it can be hard to let go of past hurts, and move on.

Of course, not everyone with NPD or narcissistic traits is abusive in a relationship and if they are then the narcissistic manipulation can be subtle yet toxic. If you’ve been in a relationship where you were subjected to emotional abuse then healing after narcissistic abuse can be a painful experience.

You might keep overthinking about what you could’ve done differently or how you could’ve handled certain situations. In some desperate situations, you might even think as far as rekindling the toxic narcissistic relationship.

The cycle of narcissistic abuse can be tricky and hard to break but we have ways you can begin your inner healing after narcissistic abuse.

Below are 7 tips to help you in recovering from narcissistic abuse:

Healing After Narcissistic Abuse? 7 Tips For You!

1. Accept The Truth

Narcissistic personality disorder doesn’t just affect romantic relationships. It’s not a set rule that you’ll suffer from narcissistic abuse from a romantic partner only. You can experience narcissistic abuse from a narcissistic mother, father, sibling, or friend. Accepting that you are or have been in a relationship with a narcissist is the first step.

Once you acknowledge this, you can accept that you’ve experienced narcissistic abuse. Accepting the truth is a way to stop self-blaming as well. If you keep denying the emotional or narcissistic abuse then you’ll only prevent yourself from healing.

2. Set Important Boundaries

Once you accept the truth, the next step is to set important healthy boundaries. The first thing you need to do is to cut off all contact with the narcissist. Of course, healing after narcissistic abuse isn’t easy, and setting firm boundaries will get a lot of pushback in the beginning but you need to stick to it. If you can’t cut off contact, then you can still stay firm with your boundaries. It’s important to also let the narcissist in your life know that some things are unacceptable and there will be consequences.

Another thing is to be specific. When you’re setting boundaries in your relationships, then be clear with your expectations. For example, you can explain to them that you’re only available via email if they’d like to continue communicating. Boundaries are important and you need to stick by them when recovering from narcissistic abuse.

3. Self-Compassion Is Key

Self-compassion is key when it comes to healing after narcissistic abuse. Self-blaming is a thing and it can be quite toxic for your mental peace. What you need to understand is that a little bit of self-compassion can go a long way in helping you stop blaming yourself for what the narcissist did to you.

Remind yourself that what happened wasn’t your fault. Reward yourself for coming this far. But most importantly, forgive yourself and know that you are not to be blamed.

4. Practice Patience

Relationships – no matter how perfect they might be – can be hard to navigate at times. When you’re recovering from narcissistic abuse then you need to practice patience. With your challenges and with yourself. It’s not easy to heal from narcissistic abuse but with some patience, it can become manageable.

To move on from narcissistic abuse, you need to be in a place where you know that you deserve love, positivity, and happiness. And this will be achieved through practicing patience with yourself and your situation.

5. Don’t Ignore Self-Care

Self-care should never be forgotten when recovering from or healing after narcissistic abuse. Just like self-compassion and patience matter, self-care matters as well. This practice of taking care of yourself means meeting your mental, emotional, and physical needs while strengthening your mind-body connection.

To practice self-care, you can try:

  • Managing your stress level
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Eating healthy
  • Doing things you enjoy
  • Connecting with positive people
  • Getting regular exercise
  • Practicing mindfulness and other relaxation techniques

6. Ask for Support From Loved Ones

The narcissist in your life may be the one you once leaned on for emotional support but can’t anymore. It’s ok. Maybe try asking for support from someone else. The point is to open up and seek support from your loved ones, the ones who won’t take you for granted. This step will not only help in healing after narcissistic abuse but can also help re-build your trust in others.

Seeking support from loved ones can help:

  • Share compassion
  • Distract you from your past
  • Keep you busy
  • Validate your experience
  • Overcome self-blame

If you can’t seek support from loved ones, you can try joining a support group or reaching out to people who’ve been through similar experiences.

7. Seek Professional Support

Healing after narcissistic abuse can be possible when you get professional support. If recovering from narcissistic abuse is particularly challenging, where you can’t set boundaries or cut off the narcissist from your life, then seeking professional help may be effective. A therapist can help you figure out how to let go of past hurts. They can also guide you through the healing process.

With effective approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), you can learn how to:

  • Recognize the problematic factors
  • Build effective coping skills to move on from narcissistic relationships
  • Resist the urge to remain in touch with your abuser or narcissist in your life
  • Have an open and honest conversation about your abusive experience with others
  • Deal with and manage intrusive, suicidal, or self-harm thoughts

For emergencies, you can connect with these helpline numbers:

Wrap Up

Abuse in any form is not acceptable. You never asked for nor deserve any abusive or toxic relationship. If you’ve been in an abusive or toxic relationship, then understanding the signs and how to recover from narcissistic abuse can help.

Healing after narcissistic abuse can be a painful and difficult experience but with the right support, self-help, and steps, you can heal and move on from narcissistic abuse.

I hope the above tips to help in healing after narcissistic abuse will help you. For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media. You can also share your thoughts in the comments below.

Take Care!

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