If you have experienced the damaging effects of a parental narcissism in childhood, you will recognise the importance of healing from this dysfunctional programming in order to achieve healthy relationships in your life.
Suffering from narcissistic abuse in childhood can be a very painful and lonely experience that goes unnoticed by other family members and friends. If your reality as a child was that it is emotionally unsafe to express your feelings or opinions, then repression of feelings becomes the blueprint for your life.
As a child of a narcissist the only way to get attention or love from a parent means pushing down one’s own emotions, beliefs and desires. If they don’t the victim becomes the target of hidden insults, guilting, blaming, shaming and gaslighting tactics. When a parent shows rejection or anger to any form of individuation, feelings or difference in opinion by the child they teach their child to not trust their own judgement. The outcome of this dysfunctional dynamic is that narcissistic parent’s judgement reigns supreme as they insidiously groom the child to adopt a framework of co-dependant traits.
Dissociation from one’s true feelings becomes a default response that can cause symptoms of depression and anxiety and low-self-esteem throughout one’s adult life. This “Emotional Repression” syndrome has hazardous effects later on in life that rears its ugly head in the choice of careers, choice of romantic partners and other significant life decisions.
Maybe you are still experiencing narcissistic abuse to this day and struggle to assert boundaries needed to protect you from this toxic person. A narcissists incapacity for self-inquiry and reflection is the reason they rarely seek counselling…. for you, however, it is never too late for you to heal the scars of emotional abuse and get treatment.
If you would like a face-to-face or online appointment please contact me.