Usually, the empath believes (often subconsciously) they can heal and help the narcissist, so they pour themselves into showing the narcissist their worth, but the narcissist never will see it. The narcissist in this position will take advantage of the empath and see their compassion as weakness.
Empaths can protect themselves by having firm boundaries, managing their energy, and getting support. In cases where your loved one has Narcissistic Personality Disorder as opposed to just narcissistic traits, it might be necessary to leave the relationship for your own mental health.
Keep Setting Boundaries
Boundary pushing for the narcissist is intentional, they want to get a reaction out of you. Anytime you react, it lets them know they are still in control. But if you want to protect yourself as an empath, you will need to keep setting boundaries.
Narcissists will tell you they are not afraid of anything or anyone, but the truth is that empaths have the ability to scare them.
Because of the heightened sense of emotional intelligence empaths have, when they meet a narcissist, they might sense that inner emotional trauma or posturing and try and comfort the narcissist, taking on their natural “nurturing” role.
Although narcissists act superior, entitled and boastful, underneath their larger-than-life facade lies their greatest fear: That they are ordinary. For narcissists, attention is like oxygen. Narcissists believe only special people get attention.
As an empath in a tense moment, your heart rate may quicken even more than normal. Your anger may feel heightened, your sadness more intense. It's harder to control your own emotions because you have your emotions and your partner's emotions running through your body.
What is empathy fatigue? At worst, empathy fatigue is a person's inability to care. It's the negative consequence of repeated exposure to stressful or traumatic events. It can manifest both emotionally or physically.
The Call of the Caretaker
If you are a caring compassionate person, it is natural to feel sorry for others who suffer, including the narcissist. If you're especially empathetic, it is your “normal” to feel others' pain and to try to caretake them on the road toward peace and happiness.
No noise, bright lights, phone calls, texts, emails, internet, television, or conversations. It's sometimes important to just feel your own energy without anyone else around. You are being your own best friend, which is a way to nurture yourself. By decreasing external stimulation, it's also easier to clear negativity.
When a person full of negative energy — whether it's spite, ridicule, or abject pessimism — enters a room occupied by an empath, the empath picks up on those feeling right away. The empath loses their grip on how they previously felt, giving it all up to understand and maybe help the negatively charged person.
When an empath leaving narcissist situation occurs, it is generally because the empath is unable to take any additional abuse from the narcissist. They may not feel like they are being treated properly and understand that they deserve to be with someone who cares.
Narcissists often look for victims who struggle with insecurity and low self-esteem. People who think less of themselves and struggle with the “I am not enough” mindset tend to attract toxic partners. People with self-esteem issues tend to think of themselves as imperfect or unlovable.
Kim Saeed, a narcissistic abuse recovery expert, says that narcissists prey on empaths and highly sensitive people. Empaths operate predominately from love, humility, and giving.
Simply put, an empath attracts a narcissist because the capacity of an empath to love is immense and all that a narcissist needs is someone to worship them. The void of love and admiration in a narcissist is a magnet that immediately pulls an empath close into a neverending cycle of a toxic relationship.
Plenty of alone time (to center and recharge)
Peace is difficult to find when surrounded by other people, sounds, and various stimuli. So, empaths need regular alone time and mini-breaks throughout the day to refocus and recharge. It's not just about being alone — it's about self-preservation and self-care.
Empaths are easily overwhelmed (by noise, light, activity, emotion) Another key difference between empathic people and those who identify as empaths are that empaths, by their very nature, have a particularly sensitive nervous system.
Myth #1: Empaths do not get angry.
Although many empaths are typically good-natured and, thus, uncomfortable with their anger, it is an important emotion. In some situations, the heightened anger experienced by an empathic individual is data that something unfair is occurring in a relationship.
Hyper-empathy syndrome occurs when you are too in tune with other people's emotions and mirror them to the same intensity. In other words, you care too much. People with hyper-empathy may find it hard to regulate their emotions and may have a tendency to pick up on negative feelings.
It comes hand-in-hand with this that narcissists hate being criticised or called out. Which is exactly why there's one word in particular narcissistic people cannot stand: "no".
Grandiose sense of self-importance
Grandiosity is the defining characteristic of narcissism. More than just arrogance or vanity, grandiosity is an unrealistic sense of superiority. Narcissists believe they are unique or “special” and can only be understood by other special people.