You can take back control.

Narcissistic Abuse Recovery

Do you find yourself feeling emotionally manipulated? Do you frequently feel angry, confused, or alone? Do you find yourself questioning your reality and wonder if you’re “over-reacting?” 

These feelings and experiences can be indicative of narcissistic abuse. Narcissistic abuse isn’t always easy to detect. You may not realize if and when it’s occurring. Individuals with Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) tend to be experts in manipulation and control.  Individuals being abused by narcissists often feel confused, due to the narcissist cyclical shift in mood and behaviors.  This experience can be agonizing, leaving an individual with immense discomfort.  The cyclical shift in mood and behaviors is considered the cycle of narcissistic abuse, where an individual is idealized, devalued, and discarded.

Common NPD Traits 

Narcissistic personality disorder can occur on a spectrum, meaning some individuals have narcissistic traits, and others may meet full clinical criteria for NPD.  Some common traits and behaviors include, but are not limited to:

  • Lack of empathy

  • Blame shifting

  • Controlling

  • Contemptuous

  • Entitled

  • Angry, Rageful, Passive Aggressive

  • Incongruent actions/Fake promises (future faking)

  • Stonewalls (silent treatment), punishes

  • Transactional relationship dynamic

  • Victimizes themselves

  • Lack of boundaries/rule breakers

  • Grandiosity

  • Inability to be vulnerable

  • Critical

  • Deep fear of suppressed abandonment

  • Deep suppressed insecurity

  • Manipulative with money

 If you realize that you’ve been struggling with narcissistic abuse, it’s normal to feel angry or scared. You may feel unsure about what to do next. Rise Therapy & Wellness is here to help you navigate and heal.

Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Goals

  • Engage in educational sessions - this helps identify if you are in an unhealthy toxic relational dynamic.

  • Identify your boundaries - boundaries are often disregarded by narcissists. Lack of boundaries increases an individual to feel unsafe, resentful, and unsupported.

  • Learn to own your truth - emotions will arise, and we will explore ways to:

    • Identify your feelings as they arise.

    • Allow yourself to be in the present moment.

    • Remind yourself that you are allowed to have needs.

    • Honor your self-worth and self-esteem.

  • Cutting contact/manage expectations - we will explore no-contact and/or manage our hopes/expectations that the narcissist will not change.

  • Heal from cyclical behaviors/mood of a narcissist - heal from the cycle of narcissistic abuse that leaves a person feeling abandoned.

  • How to navigate gaslighting - identify gaslighting, and gain tools on how to cope.

 You don’t have to experience this alone.