While each one of us has a unique way of experiencing and expressing love. There are five love languages in a toxic relationship according to Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.
They are:
• Giving gifts
• Quality time
• Physical touch
• Acts of service (devotion)
• Words of affirmation
Some people’s way of expressing love is by doing acts of service for their partner or helping around in chores. Some people like to express love by verbal affirmation. Some people express love by physical gestures while some people express love by spending quality time with their partner.
People generally think that their partner has the same love language as them and they show love the same way they would like to receive it.
However, this dynamic can turn really messy in case of an Empaths – Narcissist relationship.
When an Empath meets a Narcissist for the first time, they can be misguided to take a Narcissist as an Empath. They can mistake the sweet nothings and sweet gestures that form a part of the Love Bombing technique of a Narcissist for genuine love and care.
Read: The Pain of Loving Someone Who Is Toxic for You
Therefore, it is very important that Empaths learn the real love language of themselves and a narcissist so that they can avoid this toxic relationship dynamic.
The five love languages in a toxic relationship between Empath and Narcissist are as follows:
1) Words of affirmation
When Narcissists are using words of affirmation to express love, their intention behind that is a self serving motive where as empaths use words of affirmation to express their genuine love and care.
Narcissists use a technique known as “Love Bombing” wherein they shower their partner with unlimited praises and words of affection. They usually employ this technique in the beginning of a relationship to seduce their partner or when there is a fight or a breakdown to hook them back to the relationship.
While these words may look very real as Narcissists have mastered the art of saying all the right things but an empath has to be really careful to see if their words align with their actions or not.
Just because Empaths are honest in their communication and talk to their partner with kindness and respect, they should not make the mistake of thinking that everyone thinks, feels and acts like them.
A narcissist can be using seductive words to only benefit himself without having any real concern or love for the other person and he can turn abusive at the drop of a hat if his needs are not being met.
Read: 10 Things A Narcissist Believes All Empaths Owe Them
2) Quality time
Undivided attention and focus is something that we all want in a relationship to feel fulfilled.
However, a Narcissist is all about himself so he is incapable of giving undivided attention or quality time to anyone. His spotlight is always on himself.
He might, on the other hand, try to alienate you from your friends and family members by spending majority of his time with you but do not mistake this tactic for love.
He is spending the majority of his time with you to fulfill his own needs and agenda and wants to cut you off from your support system so that if things get sour, you have nowhere to go and you return back to him.
Whereas an Empath shows up authentically and is looking for a heart-based connection and therefore gives undivided attention to their partner, but they will not find this deep connection with a Narcissist because he is really not capable of thinking about anything apart from himself.
