We’re all raised on the idea that the holidays are meant to feel magical, with gentle lights and familiar voices. Love is portrayed as something that wraps around you effortlessly. But if you grew up around narcissists, that expectation collides with a different reality. The closer December gets, the more tightly your chest starts to ... Read more
Spending the holidays with a narcissist can feel like walking into a battlefield wearing only a sweater. Maybe it’s a co-parenting situation, a guilt-tripping parent, or an unavoidable extended family gathering. Everyone else seems to be celebrating while you’re bracing yourself for emotional landmines. You’re replaying past interactions and wondering how you’ll survive the next ... Read more
If you grew up with narcissistic family members, you know the moment I’m talking about. The holidays finally end, the emotional dust has barely settled, you’re breathing again, and then a text appears. Something disarmingly gentle like “I miss you” or “Hope you’re doing well,” coming from the very person who drained you all December. ... Read more
The holidays can feel like stepping into a snow globe: sparkling on the outside but suffocating inside. For many survivors of narcissistic abuse, the season is a minefield of heightened volatility, while others seem effortlessly joyful. I once opened a carefully wrapped “gift” from my sister that was intentionally the wrong size. Another year, my ... Read more
For years, the holidays felt like a forced performance: exhausting, chaotic, and always judged by whether my mother or siblings approved. I walked into December already bracing myself, rehearsing lines, and shrinking my needs just to keep the peace. Now, after stepping back from the narcissistic family dynamics that shaped my life, the holidays feel ... Read more
The holidays have a way of pulling out the most manipulative, dramatic, guilt-fueled sides of narcissists. I used to dread December because it meant stepping back into a role I never agreed to play. The peacekeeper, punching bag, emotional shock absorber. If you’re anything like me, you’ve felt the pressure to “keep the peace,” even ... Read more
Holiday dinners are supposed to feel warm and familiar. But if you grew up in a narcissistic family system, they often turn into emotional landmines wrapped in tinsel. For years, I thought I was imagining the tension, the sudden mood shifts, the feeling of being evaluated. Eventually, I recognized the pattern. Narcissists use holiday gatherings ... Read more
You’d think the chaos ends the moment a narcissist walks out of your life. You expect silence, distance, and maybe, a shred of peace. But narcissists don’t leave quietly. They leave smoke, echoes, and psychological debris in places you never expected. I used to believe the nightmare was over once an ex stopped calling. But ... Read more
Holidays have a way of revealing narcissists rather than flattering them. The things that make the season warm for most people, like shared joy, traditions, and togetherness, make narcissists feel exposed and threatened. Every year, I’d watch a small incident blow up into full drama. My sister turning a harmless stocking-stuffer into an insult, or ... Read more
Why do narcissists always manage to ruin the moments that should bring everyone together? I used to wonder this every year, counting down to birthdays and holidays with a sense of excitement that always ended in disappointment. A few years ago, I planned my own birthday, imagining laughter filling the kitchen with the whole family. ... Read more
