Dealing with someone who has narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) within the same household can be an extremely draining experience. Their children and spouses are subjected to a lot of damaging family structures, plagued by poor communication, no clear boundaries, control issues, and unhealthy competition. Narcissists perpetuate this toxic environment with behaviors such as gaslighting, blame shifting, exaggerating their own achievements, and minimizing the feelings of their family members. Those on the receiving end often develop long-term mental health effects from this negative behavior, including distrust of others, low self esteem, and even substance abuse. Children are especially at risk of developing NPD as well.
Eventually, some family members may finally have enough and wish to gain control over their lives. In order to safely escape, they need to carefully plan what life looks like during and after the separation. They will need to move money to separate accounts, create new contact information, and determine the division of property and child custody, as well as contact a lawyer for help. It’s recommended that this planning is done while the narcissist is away; otherwise, they might do everything in their power to sabotage the escape. Family and friends should be alerted to the date of the escape so they can offer their emotional support and the safety of their homes to the fleeing family.
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