Dating a narcissist can be very difficult. To begin with the relationship may feel perfect; your partner is loving and kind, and they seem like the perfect person for you. But as time goes on they start to change, and now the relationship is causing you a lot of stress and anxiety.
If you can relate to this, you’re not alone. Narcissism is a disorder, and around 1% of the population suffer from it. This means that most people will meet a narcissist at some point in their lives. However dating a narcissist can be very emotionally damaging, and over time it can change you – even if you don’t notice the changes happening.
Here are five ways dating a narcissist can change you.
1. How Dating A Narcissist Can Change You: You Feel More Self-Conscious And Insecure
Your date frequently criticises you and your choices. They judge your decision-making skills and appearance, and over time this makes you feel self-conscious and insecure. You find yourself double-guessing your decisions, and you feel like nothing you ever do is good enough.
2. You Are Scared Of Conflict
Narcissists can’t deal with constructive criticism, so if you ever call them out for bad behaviour they turn it on you. This means every argument ends with you apologising, so you now fear any form of conflict.
3. You Feel Worthless
A narcissist will only date someone who will shower them with love and affection. They expect constant compliments and kindness, and if you don’t give them the love they think they deserve they will become cold and distant. This means that you end up putting your needs above theirs – and eventually your needs become irrelevant to both people.
4. You Are Clingy
The more time you spend with a narcissist, the lower your self-esteem drops – and the clingier you become. You don’t have any confidence in yourself, so you don’t think you can do better than your partner. This means you cling to them and look to them for reassurance, even though they are the person who ruined your self-esteem. This can make it hard for you to break up with them (which is exactly what they want).
5. You Feel Frequent Anxiety
Your partner constantly points out your failings, so you feel like you are walking on eggshells. All you do is try to make them happy, but sadly nothing seems to work. This means that you feel nearly constant anxiety.
