Being a friend means doing your best in difficult times and fun times. But, not taking pieces of yourself and winding up feeling frustrated and annoyed with her.
Calming Box Silenced By a Narcissist
The problem with shutting down is that all the garbage stays in your body and has nowhere to go.
You can equate it to a dam with a filter or a grate on it.
To keep out the debris, to keep the garbage from being released. The toxic trash gets backed up. When we do not express ourselves, all the leftovers make us sick, physically and psychologically ill.
How Can I Help a Friend in an Abusive Relationship?
Victims of abuse blame themselves for the abuse they endure. Reassure your friend she is not responsible for the abusive behavior of her partner.
Does Your Partner Make You Feel Responsible For Everything?
Since the narcissist present their projections as undeniable truths, the victim may start believing these false accusations, further perpetuating the cycle of manipulation.
Narcissists Blaming You
Covert narcissists are skilled at shifting the blame onto others. They twist events and distort facts to make it appear as though they are the innocent party and you are at fault. By doing so, they avoid taking responsibility for their actions or any negative consequences that may arise. They can be the good guy. The good parent to impress friends, children, family, strangers. It is a clever sly disguise but nothing to do with who you are. What your values are.
Feeling anxious in your relationship?
You are not crazy. The intermittent nature of the rewards and punishments increases your emotional investment in the relationship, as you constantly seek the elusive positive reinforcement.
Gaslighting is a manipulative tactic employed by narcissists and other toxic individuals to gain control over their victims. It includes siblings, spouses, children, friends. It involves distorting the victim’s perception of reality, making them doubt their own thoughts, feelings, and memories. Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse with severe and long-lasting effects on the your mental well-being.
Narcissists go to great lengths to maintain their power and dominance over others, including distorting reality and undermining the victim’s confidence.