Letting Go of the Narcissist - Guide to Emotional Freedom

Narcissism is quite a popular term as of today. It describes a pattern of behaviour where a person feels they are more important than others, they are so focused on themselves, constantly wanting attention, praise and control that they may not care about others. And their habits may lead them on a path of selfishness as narcissists twist facts to make themselves always right. This sometimes makes them emotionally abusive as well. So if one feels trapped with a narcissist with hope, pain and confusion through this article may help them to find steps to letting go of the Narcissist and build better boundaries.

Before detaching from anyone, one should first understand the true pattern of a narcissist. They for a time use bombardment of love, gaslighting and promises of change, and the very next moment blame with repetition of hurt. And with the passing of time, one may learn that their apologies are just empty and get recognised this cycle which helps them to stop believing the lies and makes them feel less trapped. And when their tactics are finally understood, people stop expecting them to act differently.

When there is attachment, detaching is always painful. It may feel grief, anger, confusion and even guilt. Those feelings are okay and it should never mean to shame oneself. But still one feels that these emotions are just erupting and beyond control, then writing journals or talking with a wise person can help. Feelings should never be pushed away. Accepting them is a part of healing and over time emotions get lighter. So piece by piece one can reclaim their emotional space.

One of the strongest tools to protect oneself from disrespect is to set boundaries, to stay away. Setting boundaries helps in deciding what to accept and what to reject. Maybe it can be stop replying to messages after a certain time or maybe refuse to discuss sensitive topics or maybe limiting meeting them. The boundary becomes shield. So when the narcissists test limits, one must stay firm.
If they tried to cross the boundary that is the time to act. One thing should be remembered that distance and silence are the power not weakness.

One may need to stop contact entirely or reduce it drastically. If full no contact is not possible, for example in a case where one shares children or lives together then low contact should be their way. Communicate only when it is absolutely needed. It will prevent fuel that used to cause more drama. The more one limits time and emotional energy the more they regain control. Their demands will fade away when they lose your emotional supply.

No one is powerless, everyone has the power to change how they interact, where to draw lines and how much space they should allow others in their life. Note that, emotional detachment does not mean one should stop caring about theirselves. It only means caring enough to protect their own heart and with clarity, support and courage one can turn from victim to survivor.