Are You Married to a Narcissist? 12 Easy Ways To Know for Sure

Are you married to a narcissist? Falling for a narcissist is very easy. They are overwhelmingly charming, confident, talented, charismatic, and successful. They can easily engage you in an exciting conversation and shower you with attention and compliments. Only when you are hooked to them do they reveal their true self to you. 

“Nobody can be kinder than the narcissist while you react to life in his own terms.” – Elizabeth Bowen

Are you married to a narcissist? 12 easy ways to know for sure

If you’ve ever been in a sexual or romantic relationship with a narcissist, you might already understand that they often seem to be more interested in sex and pleasure than actual emotional intimacy.

In fact, narcissists and those diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) “are more likely to philander and dump their partners than people who view important parts of a relationship,” according to psychologist Ilan Shrira.

Related: Rationalizing Manipulation: How Narcissists Take Advantage Of You

“Narcissists have a heightened sense of sexuality, but they tend to view sex very differently than other people do,” said Shrira, whose 2006 study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

“They see sexuality more in terms of power, influence and as something daring, in contrast to people with low narcissistic qualities who associated sex more with caring and love.”

That’s why some narcissists tend to bounce from one relationship to the next—and most often, the relationships don’t last long and they don’t involve much emotional intimacy.

“Even when they’re in a relationship, they always seem to be on the lookout for other partners and searching for a better deal,” Shrira said after the study. “Whether that’s because of their heightened sexuality or because they think multiple partners enhance their self-image isn’t entirely clear.”

Narcissists are always on the lookout for a better deal even in a relationship. Narcissists typically have an inflated sense of their own level of importance and they expect people around them to admire them and cater to them.

They often appear to have an overblown ego and can be very charming if they choose to be. According to authors Steven Carter and Julia Sokol in their book Help! I’m in Love with a Narcissist, there are ways to know if your significant other is a narcissist.

These 12 behaviors are common in abusive narcissists and sociopaths.

narcissist

They are as follows:

1. It feels like you’re the one doing most of the “work” in the relationship.

2. Your partner does things to sabotage the relationship and prevent it from moving forward—but doesn’t want to let you go either.

3. Your partner could have a history of troubled relationships and/or addictions.

4. Your partner has episodes of excessive and often unjustified anger— sometimes even infidelity—and he or she somehow makes it all your fault.

5. You feel emotionally exhausted, often completely drained, by how hard you have to work to make or keep your partner happy.

6. The relationship is mostly focused on your partner’s interests and activities. When it’s not, there will be an ugly argument or outburst.

7. You feel controlled or manipulated by your partner’s moods to the point that you might feel like you’re walking on eggshells all the time, a slave to his or her whims.

8. You might find yourself covering up, explaining or apologizing for his or her behavior.

9. Your partner might make one-sided decisions that impact your safety and well-being.

10. You might feel unsafe by some of the actions your partner takes.

11. Your partner will refuse to see your good intentions, always blaming you for every situation, always making you admit you’re wrong, even when that’s not the case.

12. You sometimes find yourself desperately trying to remember the times when your partner showed love for you, acted like you could do no wrong—often this is in the early parts of the relationship.

Related: The Narcissist and Psychopath as Human Parasites: Are You a Host?

“Some relationships are like broken glass. It’s better to leave them alone than hurt yourself trying to put them back together.”

Loving a narcissist can be one of the biggest mistakes of your life. Irrespective of how bad you try, the relationship will always be about them and about following their whims and fancies.

Once you identify that you are married to a narcissist, it is best to simply walk away from the relationship and save yourself from the years of mental, emotional, and even physical abuse that you will receive for loving them.


Written by Angie Atkinson
Originally appeared on Queenbeing
narcissist
Are You Married to a Narcissist pin

Published On:

Last updated on:

Angie Atkinson

"Certified Life Coach, Author, Survivor. Discover, Understand and Overcome Narcissistic Abuse with Certified Life Coach, author and survivor Angie Atkinson, a recognized expert in narcissism in relationships and narcissistic personality disorder. As creator of the DUO Method of Healing, it’s her mission to to help those who have experienced the emotional and mental devastation that comes with narcissistic abuse in these incredibly toxic relationships to (re)discover their true selves, stop the gaslighting and manipulation and move forward into their genuine desires – into a life that is exactly what they choose for themselves."

Disclaimer: The informational content on The Minds Journal have been created and reviewed by qualified mental health professionals. They are intended solely for educational and self-awareness purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or have concerns about your mental health, please seek help from a licensed mental health professional or healthcare provider.

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Are you married to a narcissist? Falling for a narcissist is very easy. They are overwhelmingly charming, confident, talented, charismatic, and successful. They can easily engage you in an exciting conversation and shower you with attention and compliments. Only when you are hooked to them do they reveal their true self to you. 

“Nobody can be kinder than the narcissist while you react to life in his own terms.” – Elizabeth Bowen

Are you married to a narcissist? 12 easy ways to know for sure

If you’ve ever been in a sexual or romantic relationship with a narcissist, you might already understand that they often seem to be more interested in sex and pleasure than actual emotional intimacy.

In fact, narcissists and those diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) “are more likely to philander and dump their partners than people who view important parts of a relationship,” according to psychologist Ilan Shrira.

Related: Rationalizing Manipulation: How Narcissists Take Advantage Of You

“Narcissists have a heightened sense of sexuality, but they tend to view sex very differently than other people do,” said Shrira, whose 2006 study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

“They see sexuality more in terms of power, influence and as something daring, in contrast to people with low narcissistic qualities who associated sex more with caring and love.”

That’s why some narcissists tend to bounce from one relationship to the next—and most often, the relationships don’t last long and they don’t involve much emotional intimacy.

“Even when they’re in a relationship, they always seem to be on the lookout for other partners and searching for a better deal,” Shrira said after the study. “Whether that’s because of their heightened sexuality or because they think multiple partners enhance their self-image isn’t entirely clear.”

Narcissists are always on the lookout for a better deal even in a relationship. Narcissists typically have an inflated sense of their own level of importance and they expect people around them to admire them and cater to them.

They often appear to have an overblown ego and can be very charming if they choose to be. According to authors Steven Carter and Julia Sokol in their book Help! I’m in Love with a Narcissist, there are ways to know if your significant other is a narcissist.

These 12 behaviors are common in abusive narcissists and sociopaths.

narcissist

They are as follows:

1. It feels like you’re the one doing most of the “work” in the relationship.

2. Your partner does things to sabotage the relationship and prevent it from moving forward—but doesn’t want to let you go either.

3. Your partner could have a history of troubled relationships and/or addictions.

4. Your partner has episodes of excessive and often unjustified anger— sometimes even infidelity—and he or she somehow makes it all your fault.

5. You feel emotionally exhausted, often completely drained, by how hard you have to work to make or keep your partner happy.

6. The relationship is mostly focused on your partner’s interests and activities. When it’s not, there will be an ugly argument or outburst.

7. You feel controlled or manipulated by your partner’s moods to the point that you might feel like you’re walking on eggshells all the time, a slave to his or her whims.

8. You might find yourself covering up, explaining or apologizing for his or her behavior.

9. Your partner might make one-sided decisions that impact your safety and well-being.

10. You might feel unsafe by some of the actions your partner takes.

11. Your partner will refuse to see your good intentions, always blaming you for every situation, always making you admit you’re wrong, even when that’s not the case.

12. You sometimes find yourself desperately trying to remember the times when your partner showed love for you, acted like you could do no wrong—often this is in the early parts of the relationship.

Related: The Narcissist and Psychopath as Human Parasites: Are You a Host?

“Some relationships are like broken glass. It’s better to leave them alone than hurt yourself trying to put them back together.”

Loving a narcissist can be one of the biggest mistakes of your life. Irrespective of how bad you try, the relationship will always be about them and about following their whims and fancies.

Once you identify that you are married to a narcissist, it is best to simply walk away from the relationship and save yourself from the years of mental, emotional, and even physical abuse that you will receive for loving them.


Written by Angie Atkinson
Originally appeared on Queenbeing
narcissist
Are You Married to a Narcissist pin

Published On:

Last updated on:

Angie Atkinson

"Certified Life Coach, Author, Survivor. Discover, Understand and Overcome Narcissistic Abuse with Certified Life Coach, author and survivor Angie Atkinson, a recognized expert in narcissism in relationships and narcissistic personality disorder. As creator of the DUO Method of Healing, it’s her mission to to help those who have experienced the emotional and mental devastation that comes with narcissistic abuse in these incredibly toxic relationships to (re)discover their true selves, stop the gaslighting and manipulation and move forward into their genuine desires – into a life that is exactly what they choose for themselves."

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