Getting involved in a toxic relationship with a narcissist is something that more people deal with than you’d expect. And when you have to endure mental abuse from your partner, it can have a tremendously negative effect on you that lasts a lifetime. It’s hard to keep “being yourself” sometimes, especially when you consider all the mental abuse and emotional torture you had to endure and your self-esteem takes a major nosedive because of it. The narcissist does it for a couple of reasons – he or she does it to gain control and boost his or her own ego (yes, women can be abusive, too) – to make you feel worthless and insecure.
Listen, no one is perfect. You accept your friends and family even though they’re all flawed in a unique way, right? Why not give yourself the same courtesy? Focus on your positive traits and forgive yourself for your flaws and mistakes, alright?
Accept yourself as you are, right now, in this moment. You are good. You are okay. And you are going to get through this. I promise.
Now it’s your turn: Have you struggled with your self-esteem or self-image during or after narcissistic abuse? How’d you manage? What would you tell a friend who was in the same situation? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below – and let’s discuss it.
Angela Atkinson is a certified trauma counselor and the author of more than 20 books on narcissism, narcissistic abuse recovery, and related topics. A recognized expert on narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder who has studied and written extensively on narcissistic personality disorder and narcissistic abuse in toxic relationships since 2006, she has a popular narcissistic abuse recovery YouTube channel. Atkinson was inspired to begin her work as a result of having survived toxic relationships of her own.
Atkinson offers trauma-informed narcissistic abuse recovery coaching and has certifications in trauma counseling, life coaching, level 2 therapeutic model, CBT coaching, integrative wellness coaching, and NLP. She is a certified trauma support coach and certified family trauma professional. She also has a professional PTSD counseling certification. Her mission is to help those who have experienced the emotional and mental devastation that comes with narcissistic abuse in these incredibly toxic relationships to (re)discover their true selves, stop the gaslighting and manipulation, and move forward into their genuine desires – into a life that is exactly what they choose for themselves.
Along with her solution-focused life coaching experience, Atkinson’s previous career in journalism and research helps her to offer both accurate and understandable information for survivors of abuse in a simple-to-understand way that helps to increase awareness in the narcissistic abuse recovery community. Atkinson founded QueenBeeing.com Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Support, the SPANily Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Support Groups and the Life Makeover Academy.
She offers individual and group coaching for victims and survivors of narcissistic abuse here at QueenBeeing.com and at NarcissisticAbuseRecovery.Online.
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