Cart is empty 
When you or someone you know has experienced domestic abuse, a common trait of any abuser, is narcissism. It’s a word we hear a lot about these days, especially on social media.
But do we really understand what it means? When we think of narcissism, we tend to think of people who are self-obsessed or occupied with their own looks. So what’s the difference between Narcissism and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)?
When we talk about Narcissistic Personality Disorder, it’s so much more than self-obsession. The individual believes in their own self-importance to the point where their entitlement in any given situation outweighs anything else. They are convinced that they must be admired and lack any empathy for anyone.
They will happily exploit anyone for their own gain.
When NPD is present in a domestically abusive relationship, the victim can feel as though their whole world is in the hands of the abuser, that they are pulling all the strings and the victim is powerless to stop them.
So how do you navigate dealing with Narcissistic Personality Disorder when domestic abuse is involved?
The first thing to realise is that the individual is not going to change – for anyone.
They are beyond resistant to changing their behaviour because they do not believe they are in the wrong. It can be exhausting for the victim trying to reason with the abuser but at the end of the day, it really is a case of, “their way or the highway.”
Once you accept that whatever you say or do is not going to change how the individual with NPD behaves, then you can start to think about how you can find support for yourself.
The support may come from professionals you can check out my Resources Page for useful links, or it may be family and friends you can speak to.
Whoever it is, just remember you have the right to set boundaries for yourself.
It won’t be a walk in the park.
You will have ups and downs as you try to let go of all the hurtful and cruel things the individual with NPD has done to you.
These things stay with you but you can move forward with one step at a time. Slowly you will start to take control of your life back.
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” – Steve Maraboli
You can find me on Instagram