What happens to your brain after narcissistic abuse?
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.
Some examples of long-term effects include mood and anxiety disorders, physical ailments such as headaches, stomachaches, or body aches, the inability to get a good night's sleep or having nightmares, and a lowered sense of self-worth. Is it possible to fully recover from narcissistic abuse?
In my experience, it seems to take anywhere from a few weeks to about 18 months for most people to get over the trauma-bond addiction, but it can be longer than that for some people and far less for others – depending on the intensity and length of the relationship. In some cases, it never seems to go away completely.
Victims of narcissistic abuse often fall into the trap of damaging self-criticism. Their emotional recovery is impeded because they feel like a fool for believing the things that the narcissist said or do. They think that something is actually wrong with them because they failed to see the person for who he or she was.
Rely on your support system: Make sure that you are surrounding yourself with the loved ones and hobbies that support you and your mental health. Trust your gut: It's vital that you listen to your own intuition, especially since narcissists have a tendency to attack that in others.
Narcissistic abuse changes your brain
But, there is hope. There are reparative activities you can do to restore and rebuild your hippocampus and stop the hijacking of your psyche by your amygdala.
Narcissistic abuse is insidious and can cause lasting effects like low self-esteem, trust issues, self-doubt, grief, depression, and anxiety. With time and treatment, it's possible to heal and overcome these issues, recovering parts of yourself and your life that were lost to the abuser.
After the break-up, people will experience an obsessive longing for their abusive partner (drug), debilitating emotional pain, and often engage in self-destructive behavior. This emotional response is why some people feel incapacitated by the hurt and obsess about hooking up with an ex-partner for more abuse.
Narcissistic abuse is insidious and can cause lasting effects like low self-esteem, trust issues, self-doubt, grief, depression, and anxiety. With time and treatment, it's possible to heal and overcome these issues, recovering parts of yourself and your life that were lost to the abuser.
Dating a narcissist may cause lowered self-esteem, a loss of identity, insecurity in your relationship, isolation, self-doubt, or anxiety. Not all consequences of dating a narcissist are bad—survivors of narcissistic abuse experience increased compassion for others and self-respect.