However, all is not lost. Recovery from narcissistic abuse and PTSD is possible with the right strategies and resources. These include creating boundaries, seeking professional help, practicing self-care techniques, and finding a support network.
The condition may last months or years, with triggers that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by intense emotional and physical reactions. This is very similar to what victims of narcissistic abuse go through, namely Post Narcissist Stress Disorder (PNSD).
For survivors of narcissistic abuse, people are often treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), prolonged exposure therapy, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.
Signs and Symptoms of PTSD
If you or a loved one has just gone through a breakup with a narcissist, watch out for these signs of PTSD: Episodes of panic and fear that come out of nowhere. Extreme reactions—physical or emotional—to traumatic reminders. Difficulty sleeping or concentrating.
Recovering from narcissistic abuse takes time, so you will have to remain patient. This process could take months or even years, but it's worth all of the hard work and effort. You can and will move on to find healthier and happier connections with others.
The functions of the amygdala, hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex that are affected by emotional trauma can also be reversed. The brain is ever-changing and recovery is possible.
Is it possible to fully recover from narcissistic abuse? It can take years to fully recover from the damage that was done because of the psychological manipulation that you have endured. That being said, moving past the abuse and achieving full recovery is entirely possible with professional help.
Victims of narcissistic abuse have been reported to experience symptoms similar to PTSD, known informally as narcissistic abuse syndrome. Symptoms include intrusive, invasive, or unwanted thoughts, flashbacks, avoidance, feelings of loneliness, isolation, and feeling extremely alert.
As a narcissistic abuse survivor, you will likely have symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Your brain will be on high alert, looking out for danger. This is because the traumatic events triggered a fight or flight response within you. As a result, anything associated with those memories can trigger an anxiety attack.
The abuse from a narcissist will essentially cause the victim (first- or second-degree) to feel emotionally out of control and unstable. The negative memories and painful flashbacks will overpower any semblance of goodness. Depression, languishing, and general disinterest in life will become the norm.
You can start healing from narcissistic abuse by first acknowledging that it happened to you. Then, heal your mind through your body by partaking in self-care through enjoyable physical activity. Lastly, you can reach out to your support system or a support group for guidance and care.
Seek support communities and therapy, if needed
Consider reaching out to a healthcare or mental health professional. They may recommend trauma therapy to help manage your symptoms. This could include specialized therapies to help you process your trauma experiences and build coping tools.
The aftermath of narcissistic abuse can include depression, anxiety, hypervigilance, a pervasive sense of toxic shame, emotional flashbacks that regress the victim back to the abusive incidents, and overwhelming feelings of helplessness and worthlessness.
The final phase of the narcissistic abuse cycle is discarding. This is when the narcissist completely breaks off the relationship and leaves their partner feeling worthless and abandoned. Examples of how this can look are: The narcissist will abruptly break up with their partner and leave them without any explanation.
Survivors of narcissistic abuse often suffer from anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, and even PTSD or complex trauma symptoms. These issues can all be treated in therapy (sometimes in combination with medication).
Narcissistic parents cause enormous harm to their children. When grown, these victims of narcissistic abuse face seemingly insurmountable problems, including the formation of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD).
Narcissists and psychopaths dissociate (erase memories) a lot (are amnesiac) because their contact with the world and with others is via a fictitious construct: The false self. Narcissists never experience reality directly but through a distorting lens darkly.
Key points. Narcissism is associated with grandiosity, entitlement, callousness, antagonism, and manipulativeness.
The pain of narcissistic abuse is hard to heal because it is fueled by self-loathing, shame, and guilt. The victim feels unworthy of love and that their partner only uses them for their benefit. This cycle of hurt keeps victims trapped in despair and self-hatred.
There are three reasons why it is so hard to get over a narcissist. First, it's hard to let go of the emotions and feelings that you have for the narcissist. Second, to get over a narcissist you have to rebuild yourself, which takes a lot of time. Third, the narcissist is still controlling your surrounding environment.
When children suffer at the hands of a narcissistic abuser, some crucial brain regions are affected, including damage to the hippocampus and amygdala. These changes lead to devastating effects on the lives of these children.
Reduced frontal cortex thickness and cortical volume associated with pathological narcissism.
Unlike traditional psychiatry, which rarely looks at the brain, Amen Clinics uses brain imaging technology to identify brain patterns associated with narcissistic personality disorder and related conditions.