This trauma has a way of cutting deep until the wound penetrates more than just your skin seeping itself into who you are and leaving lasting effects on your self-esteem, ability to trust others or even what is real. It’s a form of manipulation that plays on your feelings and leaves you in doubt about yourself. The aftermath is the worst of it all, you will feel confused, afraid and most likely question yourself. Yet, there is hope it can be healed and you are a chance; trust in yourself after narcissistic abuse.
In this article, we will begin diving into the topic of narcissistic abuse and how it clouds self-perception, trust and why therapy is so crucial in healing these wounds. With the right self care and a compassionate therapist, you can begin to find hope for reclaiming your life through trust in yourself.
Understanding Narcissistic Abuse and Its Impact
Of course this manipulation,gas-lighting can be considered the most hurtful emotion of any narcissistic empathy control abuse. These tactics give a narcissistic person control and they are tools for getting hold of his or her partner/victim) at first it is done to destabilise the other person, which leaves them feeling powerless. Most often times the victims of narcissistic abuse are being gaslighted — or invalidated, questioned on their perception/reality and held responsible for things not done.
Narcissistic abuse symptoms are as follows:
Loss of self: This happens when the victims are reduced to almost not knowing who they actually are. Whatever the narcissist requires, thinks or wants automatically override their own.
Doubt: As a result of the constant criticism, blame-shifting and gaslighting (you will learn what that is later on), victims begin to doubt their own thought processes.
Fear of vulnerability: The act of trusting others, even oneself becomes a terrifying event as victims are thought that more pain comes from being vulnerable.
Diminished self-esteem: The sustained devaluing attacks on their realities degrade the sense of worth and deservingness until victims begin to assume they are simply not good enough.
Although these effects may appear intractable, they are transient. Now having the tools and support, you can start to truly discover yourself again reclaiming parts that have been lost through suffering from emotional abuse.
Therapy as a Foundation for Healing
For individuals who have been through serial narcissistic abuse, therapy is crucial like their next breath. It might be a good idea to have the help of a skilled therapist, who can offer you an environment where it is safe enough for exploring your trauma and begin healing. They can also teach you how to identify the distorted beliefs that a narcissist has placed inside of your brain and help train them against your actual thoughts and emotions.
Participating in therapy will:
Easier to Understand: Therapy helps shed light on the confusion that narcissistic abuse creates, providing a much clearer picture of what happens in those nasty little toxic games.
Re-establish self-trust: A healthy relationship with a therapist can help you implement exercises and dialogue that boosts your ability to trust yourself again.
Stronger boundaries: For potential relationships post break up therapy can help you set and stuck to healthier patterns.
Trauma process: When you are able to heal emotionally and mentally by addressing your past trauma of narcissistic abuse in a safe space.
All in the Family Counselling carries a specially designed therapy for people who are healing from narcissistic abuse. We have therapists who are experienced in working on individuation/redevelopment issues and reprocessing of emotional injuries.
Rebuilding Trust in Yourself
The biggest hurdle for use of us post-abuse is learning to trust ourselves again. Suffering through the type of abuse can obviously cause deep-seated emotions that create self-doubt and confusion, leaving you to question whether or not your instincts are truly telling you what they should.
Below you will find some techniques to help initiate the reconnection with yourself and ignite that sticky little spark of self-truth within:
Listening to Your Innate Wisdom
When we are in an abusive relationship, our voice is normally overwhelmed by the narcissists. You might also be so conditioned to need their approval or validation that you forget what your inner voice even sounds like. Your brain does not rest while, so one technique to help start connecting with your thought and emotions would be creating little silences in which you can listen.
This is where journaling can play a part. Keep a diary (without self-criticism) and let it all out — let everything that is in there stay in the physical form. Slowly, this will allow you to tap back into your values, yes YOUR true desires and instinct.
Challenge Negative Beliefs
Narcissistic abuse can cause someone to take on these negative beliefs as their own. That you are not good, that you cannot do it and most importantly of all: the idea was presented to us over and over again. These can become based in reality, even though they are not.
But therapy helps to start challenging these beliefs. They are there to help you pin point and let go those false narrative-narratives the narcissist left for you, which won´t make them laugh at your face once they see all that is taking up space in your mind now. A therapist will be able to have a talk with You, replacing bad thoughts by positive affirmations concerning yourself.
Practice Self-Compassion
Pathways To Healing From Narcissistic AbuseRequires Self-Compassionmedium.com It is okay to be hard on yourself for walking through this impossible path. But breaking free from an emotionally abusive relationship will leave you feeling completely vulnerable and unsure of yourself. Be patient with yourself, allow yourself to heal and pat your back for even the tiniest of achievements.
When you are self-compassionate, it also means that your feelings will be accepted by yourselves. Allow yoursel to feel sad or angry, scared and overwhelmed – without shame. Showing your emotions is an essential part of healing.
Set Healthy Boundaries
Narcissistic abuse is usually associated with violating personal boundaries until the survivor literally does not know his/her limits. Maybe most importantly, it is in relearning how to set a boundary and keep one that trust gets rebuilt with yourself.
Begin by setting boundaries in everyday interactions. You could choose not to be involved in a conversation that doesn’t feel good or agree with everybody depending on what you need. Every time you stand up for your boundaries, it is strengthening your self-esteem and giving back to yourself what was taken away from the inconsiderate emotional abuser.
Make Friends with People to Surround Yourself With
Recovering from narcissistic abuse is a difficult task, so make sure to have good people who really care for you around your reach. Re-establish identity friends, family, or support groups may provide emotional boost and assurance as you try to rebuild your life.
Careful of the partnerships you engage in during this time Look for those people who respect your edges, listen without criticism and encourage the process to heal. Create a supportive network of relationships that will support you emotionally and restore your faith in yourself as well others.
Finding Your Way Back to Yourself
Healing Is Not A Linear Path After Narcissistic Abuse Building trust in yourself and restoring connection to your true nature may take time. But breathe through the process, as slow progress is still PROGRESS!
With therapy, self-compassion and dedication to growth you can recover from the trauma that is narcissistic abuse. You will also refind your self-confidence, ability to trust yourself and reawakening that strength you had before. It is a journey back to your empowerment, re-connection with the parts of you that got lost and remembering who it was before the abuse happened.
We Get It At All in the Family Counselling we really get it. Our therapy programs have been developed to support your recovery process with empathy and gentleness by providing you essential skills which helps in healing yourself as well.
