Hello everyone! This article is going to be about healing and taking care of yourself after being in a sort of narcissistic relationship. This can be anything from a romantic relationship, a friendship or the relationship between family members. I will be giving some personal examples of my healing journey and to give you some context, I have had the last year and a bit to heal from a long term 6 year relationship.
The first step to healing from a narcissistic relationship is making the decision to step back from the relationship. In most cases this is the hardest part because it can be really difficult to move away from something that is bad for you. This is because you have a connection with these people and it can be hard to let go of all the ‘good times’. My biggest piece of advice here is to just remind yourself of the reasons why you started questioning the connection in the first place. It can be really hard and emotional, but there comes a time when bad baggage outweighs the good moments.
Once you have made the decision to step away from a narcissistic relationship you are going to feel a lot of emotions and you will probably second guess your decision. However, this is where your strength will be tested because you need to remind yourself that you are doing this for yourself and you will be better off in the long run. Your healing journey continues this way, because you need self discipline and strength to get through this patch. Keep reminding yourself that you are strong and you will make it through any hardships you’re facing.
One of the biggest things you can do for yourself once you remove yourself from a narcissistic environment is start doing the things you love again. Oftentimes in a narcissistic environment you’re made to feel like you can’t do the things that you love to do. It can also get to a point where you don’t feel like you have control over your own decisions because you’re manipulated into feeling bad. This is where you take control and do all of the things you want to do, for YOU.
Another step you can take in your healing journey is possibly seeing a therapist or psychologist. Taking this action truly depends on you and how you feel. I believe that anyone can see a therapist for any reason, even if that is just to have an outlet to go to sometimes. If you had been previously manipulated or have gone through trauma in your toxic relationship, seeing a therapist might help you take those harder steps towards feeling better.
At the end of the day, the hardest part about leaving a narcissistic relationship is the leaving and staying gone. It takes a lot not to go back to the person that hurt you, bit in the end and when you truly start to heal and feel like yourself again it will all be worth it. Once you start doing all those things you love again, without being made to feel bad for doing them, you will be the happiest person. Know your worth and don’t settle for any less than that. Ever.