Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Narcissistic Abuse?The Cycle of Narcissistic AbuseSeeking a Support for Narcissistic AbuseWhat to ExpectHow to Find a Narcissistic Abuse Support GroupAdditional Resources
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Narcissistic Abuse?
The Cycle of Narcissistic Abuse
Seeking a Support for Narcissistic Abuse
What to Expect
How to Find a Narcissistic Abuse Support Group
Additional Resources
Joining a narcissistic abuse support group can be helpful if you have experienced narcissistic abuse from someone in your life. Such groups offer emotional support, empathy, and information that can help you understand what you’ve experienced.
First things first:Abuseis never your fault. Every individual deserves the right to have a healthy, safe, and supportive relationship, and no one should have that right violated.
If you are in an abusive relationship or have been in one in the past, getting help healing is extremely important. It isn’t uncommon for folks to be unaware of the various types of abuse.
Abuse isn’t only physical harm that leaves bruises and scars. It can also be emotional and psychological abuse that can leave you feeling scared, unsure of yourself, and completely dependent on your abuser.
At a GlanceNarcissistic abuseinvolves manipulation and other control tactics to harm a person’s self-image, relationships, and financial well-being. Learning to recognize the signs of this form ofemotionaland psychological abuse is essential. Connecting with a narcissistic abuse support group can be an important step toward healing.
At a Glance
Narcissistic abuseinvolves manipulation and other control tactics to harm a person’s self-image, relationships, and financial well-being. Learning to recognize the signs of this form ofemotionaland psychological abuse is essential. Connecting with a narcissistic abuse support group can be an important step toward healing.
How to Recognize and Cope With Verbal Abuse
Narcissistic abuseis a form of emotional and psychological abuse that utilizesmanipulation, coercion, scare tactics, and control. This abuse can have devastating effects on the survivor’s relationships,finances, and self-image.
Narcissism is a term that is thrown around freely in our society, but it is important that both narcissistic traits and NPD are understood when identifying narcissistic abuse.
First, narcissistic traits are more than someone who is simplyobsessed with themselvesand is power-hungry.Narcissistic traitsrefer to some of the traits of NPD, such aslacking empathy, requiring those around them to praise them, and having an inflated sense of self.
Someone with NPD exhibits all those traits, amongst others, to the point of impairing theirinterpersonal relationships.
If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
If you or a loved one are a victim of domestic violence, contact theNational Domestic Violence Hotlineat1-800-799-7233for confidential assistance from trained advocates.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
9 Ways to Help a Victim of Domestic Violence
Narcissistic abuse iscovertand hard to spot at times. However, there is acycle of abuse particular to narcissistic abusein romantic relationships. Those with narcissistic traits tend to seek outsensitiveandempathicindividuals.
Early Stages
The early stages of a relationship where narcissistic abuse is present can seem like afairy tale, with the narcissistic person lavishing the survivor with praise, gifts, adoration, and grand plans for the future.
In turn, the survivor often fosters a deep admiration and love for their abuser. This plays into the narcissistic desire to be adored and to exert a level of control over others.
Middle Stage
After the early stage of over-the-top romance, the emotional abuse will begin to present itself through deprecating language, humiliation, and dismissive communication that aims to chip away at the survivor’s self-esteem.
Final Stage
Narcissistic abuse in nonromantic environments follows a similar theme: an intense adoration for the survivor, a stretch of time when the survivor is devalued, then the survivor is discarded. This is true among family members and friendships and can even occur in theworkplace.
Why Does Domestic Violence Happen?
Emotional abuse can have devastating effects. Research has shown that people who experience emotional abuse in childhood are more likely to experience anxiety, stress, depression, and neuroticism in adulthood.
Social media can be the first place a survivor finds information that helps them make sense of the abuse they just experienced.
Due to the manipulative nature of narcissistic abuse, it can be very hard for the survivor to understand their own emotional reality.
Aside from digital support,social supportis very important. A huge component of narcissistic abuse is complete isolation. When survivors realize they aren’t alone upon hearing others share about what they’ve overcome, they can begin to realize they aren’t alone and healing is possible.
The Best Online Group Therapy, Tried and Tested
What to Expect from a Narcissistic Abuse Support Group
A narcissistic abusesupport groupis asafe spacewhere survivors come together to support each other while they heal from the abuse they’ve been subjected to.
How to Stay Mentally Strong When Someone Is Gaslighting You
There are multiple ways to find a narcissistic abuse support group.
Talk to a Mental Health Provider
First, you can reach out to amental health providerand ask them for referrals for any narcissistic abuse support groups near you. They are likely to have some information to share with you, and in the rare event they don’t, they can point you in the right direction.
Domestic Violence Centers
Domestic violence centers typically run support groups for survivors ofintimate partner violence(IPV) and narcissistic abuse qualifies as a form of IPV.
Family Support Groups
It isn’t uncommon for those experiencing NPD and narcissistic traits to also have addiction issues and it is worth assessing if the perpetrator of abuse suffers from addiction. If so,Al-Anon, the 12-step program for friends and family of alcoholics, may be a good fit for you.
Al-Anon is a supportive group for folks who are healing from the harms of alcoholic behavior. It offers a space to share your feelings, connect with others, and even have one-on-one peer support in the form of something called sponsorship.
While Al-Anon isn’t specifically for narcissistic abuse survivors, if your abuser is an has an addiction, it may be the support you’re looking for.
Resources for Narcissistic Abuse
Below are other resources that may be helpful to you:
Online Therapy Reviews
Takeaway
First and foremost, abuse is never your fault. Part of thetoxicityof narcissistic abuse is how it can scramble one’s sense of reality. Seeking support from your community, peers, andmental health professionalscan be of great support in beginning to recover from abuse and building healthy relationships. Recovering from the impacts of narcissistic abuse can be lonely, frustrating, and challenging, but healing is absolutely possible.
How Narcissistic Abuse Can Cause C-PTSD
4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Howard V.Recognising narcissistic abuse and the implications for mental health nursing practice.Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 2019;40(8):644-654. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2019.1590485Day NJS, Townsend ML, Grenyer BFS.Living with pathological narcissism: a qualitative study [published correction appears in Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2022 Jan 22;9(1):5].Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2020;7(1):19. doi:10.1186/s40479-020-00132-8Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic personality disorder. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Dye HL.Is emotional abuse as harmful as physical and/or sexual abuse?J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2019;13(4):399-407. doi:10.1007/s40653-019-00292-y
4 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Howard V.Recognising narcissistic abuse and the implications for mental health nursing practice.Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 2019;40(8):644-654. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2019.1590485Day NJS, Townsend ML, Grenyer BFS.Living with pathological narcissism: a qualitative study [published correction appears in Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2022 Jan 22;9(1):5].Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2020;7(1):19. doi:10.1186/s40479-020-00132-8Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic personality disorder. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Dye HL.Is emotional abuse as harmful as physical and/or sexual abuse?J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2019;13(4):399-407. doi:10.1007/s40653-019-00292-y
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Howard V.Recognising narcissistic abuse and the implications for mental health nursing practice.Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 2019;40(8):644-654. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2019.1590485Day NJS, Townsend ML, Grenyer BFS.Living with pathological narcissism: a qualitative study [published correction appears in Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2022 Jan 22;9(1):5].Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2020;7(1):19. doi:10.1186/s40479-020-00132-8Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic personality disorder. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Dye HL.Is emotional abuse as harmful as physical and/or sexual abuse?J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2019;13(4):399-407. doi:10.1007/s40653-019-00292-y
Howard V.Recognising narcissistic abuse and the implications for mental health nursing practice.Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 2019;40(8):644-654. doi: 10.1080/01612840.2019.1590485
Day NJS, Townsend ML, Grenyer BFS.Living with pathological narcissism: a qualitative study [published correction appears in Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2022 Jan 22;9(1):5].Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul. 2020;7(1):19. doi:10.1186/s40479-020-00132-8
Mitra P, Fluyau D.Narcissistic personality disorder. Treasure Island, FL. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.
Dye HL.Is emotional abuse as harmful as physical and/or sexual abuse?J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2019;13(4):399-407. doi:10.1007/s40653-019-00292-y
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