It was 2 AM, and I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. My body was exhausted, but my mind was running in circles. I kept rerunning every word I’d said to my mother earlier that day. Did I sound disrespectful? Should I have explained myself differently? What if she twists it when she ... Read more
You were never the problem. You were the one who saw the problem. I can still picture one holiday dinner like it was yesterday. My mother was retelling an old story, only she twisted it so the spotlight landed on me. I was labeled “difficult” again. My younger brother shook his head at me, and ... Read more
Narcissists don’t “just talk too much.” Their endless rambling isn’t innocent chatter. It’s a manipulation tactic. The goal is control rather than connection. By keeping you cornered in their stream of words, they drain your energy, dominate the space, and ensure the spotlight never leaves them. I remember one evening when my mother called me. ... Read more
They told us forgiveness meant opening the door again. But that lie kept me trapped for years. I remember the day I finally forgave my mother after years of chaos. I had convinced myself that forgiveness meant she deserved another chance to be in my life. So I let her back in. At first, I ... Read more
Narcissists thrive on your guilt. Every “sorry” you hand over is another leash they use to pull you back into control. For years, I handed out apologies like candy, even for things that weren’t wrong. I remember once saying sorry to my mother because I was tired after a long day of school and wanted ... Read more
Happiness with a narcissist feels impossible because the entire relationship is built on chaos. They don’t argue to resolve. They argue to win. They don’t correct you to help. They correct you to diminish. One day, they flood you with affection, laughter, and exaggerated praise. The next day, they lash out, lie, or retreat into ... Read more
Being too nice doesn’t protect you. It paints a target on your back for narcissists. For most of my life, I thought niceness was my shield. If I stayed agreeable, avoided conflict, and always made myself useful, then maybe I would finally earn peace. So, I became the fixer in my family. When my mother’s ... Read more
Some people never stay down, no matter how hard a narcissist tries to crush them. I know this because I’ve lived it. Growing up, my older sister and I had moments of tension with our mother that often left me questioning myself. There were times I felt manipulated, invalidated, and like my voice didn’t matter. ... Read more
In a narcissistic family, speaking up feels like stepping on a landmine. The moment you assert a boundary or question someone’s behavior, you’re branded as “dramatic,” “too sensitive,” or “disrespectful.” For years, I kept my mouth shut, convinced silence was safer. But I wasn’t safe. I was just silent. And they used that silence to ... Read more
Narcissists drain joy and twist reality, leaving survivors unsure of everything they once believed about themselves. For years, I lived under my mother’s relentless criticism, my sister’s subtle manipulation, and my brother’s explosive moods. Even when I finally went no contact, silence didn’t feel like freedom. I remember one evening standing in my living room, ... Read more
