You are left in total shock, unable to believe how awful people can be until you witness it yourself. You have been conned, stolen from, and tricked into believing that a beautiful falsehood was reality. They were supposed to give you sweet dreams, but all you got were nightmares. Their initial charm threw you for a loop, turning your world upside down by revealing a dark, nasty side. The idea that someone could undergo such a radical transformation—or be nothing but deceit—is incomprehensible. Faced with such adversity, it’s natural to question your own judgment. You may start doubting your decision-making skills, wondering if you were the one who missed the obvious signs. You might even berate yourself for not ending the relationship sooner. The truth is, the narcissist’s behavior is icy, heartless, and entrapping. It’s hard to believe that there was ever any sincerity, honesty, closeness, or kinship—it was all just a game they played with your life.
5. Symptoms Indicative of Complicated PTSD and Other Health Issues
The most recent indicator is the presence of symptoms that suggest complicated PTSD, as well as other issues not typically associated with narcissistic abuse trauma. You may experience sleeplessness, a lack of appetite, a heightened startle reaction, hypervigilance, chronic exhaustion, emotional and visual flashbacks, dissociation, and trouble concentrating. Additionally, problems with memory or issues related to your body or hormones—such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, fibromyalgia, MS, or hypothyroidism—may arise. Your recovery from narcissistic abuse is further hindered by unusual symptoms specific to this type of abuse, such as cognitive dissonance, trauma bonding, and Stockholm syndrome. In a normal, healthy relationship, while you might feel down, you eventually recover. In this case, though, the lingering effects are far more complex.
It is imperative that you move forward so that not a single loose end remains. Breaking up with a narcissist involves processing a lot of pain and trauma. When you are in a relationship with someone who is extremely demanding and stressful, your body and brain adapt to keep you alive, and that constant stress eventually wears you down—manifesting as new health issues. The person you were with was clearly very unhealthy if you are now experiencing both unique and common indications of trauma.
My final question for you is this: which of these signs do you most strongly identify with? Before I wrap up this episode, please share your thoughts in the comments. This is the end of today’s episode—I’ll fill you in on the next one. In the meantime, let’s focus on improving our health. See you soon.
Emotionally Abusive Narcissists Will Lose Their Minds IF Empaths Do These 10 Things
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