The label narcissist is used loosely these days, typically to indicate anyone who is vain and selfish, but the true personality disorder and its traits run much deeper, and carry long-term debilitating effects for those involved with such people.

If you were raised by a narcissistic parent or are in a relationship with a narcissist, you will likely feel more like an object to be used and manipulated to meet the narcissistic partner’s goals or needs. You eventually realize your partner does not see the real you. It is a heart-breaking discovery to realize you have been conned or duped by someone you trusted and loved.

Below I’m offering you a checklist to determine if your relationship carries these devastating traits. Remember: Narcissism is a spectrum disorder; someone with a high level or number of these traits can be a more damaging influence on you, and your children. The more traits, the closer to a full-blown personality disorder.

This checklist is copyrighted and comes directly from my new book to be released on February 10, 2015: Will I Ever Be Free of You? How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist, and Heal Your Family.

Is Your Partner a Narcissist? Checklist

1. When something goes wrong, does your partner blame everyone but himself or herself?

2. Does your partner refuse to be accountable for his or her bad behavior? (For example, “You made me so mad that I couldn’t help . . .”)

3. Does your partner believe he or she is always right?

4. Is your partner unable to tune in to your feelings or your children’s feelings?

5. Does your partner seem more concerned about how your behavior or your children’s behavior reflects on him or her than on understanding and accepting who you and the kids are as people?

6. Does your partner seem to be out of touch with his or her own feelings or seem to deny them?

7. Does your partner carry grudges against you and others?

8. Is it all about your partner and his/her money, time, parenting time, property, and wishes/demands?

9. Does your partner seem unwilling to listen to you and to hear your concerns?

10. Is your partner constantly telling you what to do?

11. Does your partner make you feel “not good enough”? Have your partner’s constant put-downs caused you to internalize this message?

12. Does your partner never ask about you, your day, or your feelings, even in passing?

13. Does your partner need to go on and on about how great he or she is and how pathetic you are?

14. Does your partner lie?

15. Does your partner manipulate?

16. Does your partner tell different people different stories about the same event, spinning the story so that he or she looks good?

17. When your partner talks about his or her kids, is it about what the kids do rather than who they are?

18. Are the children uncomfortable with your partner, love your partner, but at the same time are reluctant to spend time with him or her?