Clinical research and individual personal experience about Narcissistic Abuse informs us about the types of emotional abuse that come from a person with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). People with NPD generally have low self-esteem and see others as less than or below them, which will likely lead to continued harmful, toxic, and other abusive behaviors. 

Someone with NPD may use bargaining, blaming, shaming, and threats, to manipulate you into what feeds their existence, and control, narcissistic abusers can manipulate the truth or gaslight, which most often can make you question your sanity, integrity, or the truth. People with a pattern of NPD behavior have a need for admiration, and aggression, and exhibit a lack of empathy.

Narcissistic abuse can internally and literally manipulate an individual into clouded thinking and the capacity to defend, protect, and help themselves is lost and becomes harder to implement as abusive control becomes the norm.

Composing a personal guide with a therapist for identifying boundaries and implementing recovery tools is imperative to gaining freedom from harm. The sooner you have a better understanding, you can begin the healing after emotional abuse from someone. 

The behaviors most recognized by the community:

• entitlement, which may include controlling a person’s money
• jealousy or envy
• attention seeking or requiring admiration
• arrogance
• grandiosity
• believing they are superior or special
• charisma

Signs of narcissistic abuse may include the following:

• Gaslighting: An abuser may deny an event happened, question the other person’s memory, or trivialize how the other person feels.
• Dishonesty: An abuser may lie to cover up feelings of insecurity or shame, or they may fabricate a story to make themselves the hero or the victim.
• Controlling: An abuser may be insecure, jealous, or suspicious, which may lead them to control another person’s actions, finances, or interactions.
• Exploitation: An abuser may take advantage of others for their own gain.
• Lack of empathy: A person may be unable to empathize with another person’s feelings or see their perspective, which may result in harmful behavior or neglect. They may be emotionally cold or distant.
• Belittling or devaluing: A person may dismiss the other person’s achievements or worth and may insult, humiliate, degrade, or belittle them.
• Intimidation: Narcissistic abuse may involve aggressive, intimidating behavior, bullying, or manipulation.
• Volatile behavior: People may feel as though they are “walking on eggshells” around someone with narcissism, and an abuser may have irrational and unpredictable responses that may be aggressive or abusive.
• Rage: An abuser may have sudden attacks of uncontrolled rage that cause distress or physical harm to the other person.
• Emotional blackmail: An abuser may threaten to harm themselves or take drastic actions if the other person does not behave how they want or considers leaving them.
• Punishing: An abuser may be vindictive and seek revenge or punishment on anyone who does not agree with them or do as they want.
  
  
  

Healing from Toxic Relationships: 10 Essential Steps to Recover from Gaslighting, Narcissism, and Emotional Abuse - By Dr. Stephanie Sarkis  

Gaslighting: Recognize Manipulative and Emotionally Abusive People -- and Break Free -

The Narcissist's Playbook: How to Identify, Disarm, and Protect Yourself from Narcissists, Sociopaths, Psychopaths, and Other Types of Manipulative and Abusive People