10 Signs You’re In A Relationship With A Narcissist

A relationship with a narcissistic partner can be mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. Ignoring   narcissistic characters in your partner can leave you in a strained relationship.

To avoid being caught in the web of a strained relationship, it’s important to you understand the major signs of narcissism. This article is a guide that teaches you 10 signs that show you’re in a relationship with a narcissist.

Who is A Narcissist?

Narcissists are individuals with an over-inflated sense of self. This set of individuals believe they are superior and different when compared to others, and they expect to be given a different treatment. In simple terms, narcissism is selfishness at the detriment of others. 

Narcissism is a term for people with a personality disorder characterized by an unnecessary need for admiration and a lack of empathy toward what other people feel. 

Being in a relationship with a narcissist can be draining as they constantly need you to feed their self-inflated ego. Narcissistic partners lack empathy and this greatly affects their relationship with their spouse.

If you feel your partner lacks empathy for your emotional needs or has an over-inflated ego, you might be in a relationship with a narcissist. 

10 Signs You’re in a Relationship With a Narcissist 

A relationship with a narcissist can be a great threat to your mental health. To protect your mental health, it is essential to know the certain signs that distinguish a narcissistic relationship from a normal one. Here are a 10 signs that indicates you’re in a relationship with a relationship:

They love-bomb you

Narcissistic partners have grandiose plans and fantasies when it comes to relationships. A narcissistic partner will compliment you constantly and ensure you feel loved in a way you have not felt before. 

This happens because narcissists think they are unique, and they have to be in a relationship with unique people to exhibit their uniqueness. They put a lot of work into covering their flaws in the first months of the relationship. 

Quick advice! If you are with a person and you feel it is too early for the person to be crazily in love with you, there’s a tendency that the person might be narcissistic. And, no, your mind isn’t playing games with you. 

Every conversation is about them

People suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder feel the whole world is hovering around them. Narcissistic partners think too highly of themselves. With their overinflated sense of importance, narcissistic partners are prone to exaggerate achievement during every conversation. 

This happens because narcissists feel they are more intelligent than everyone, and constantly showing off their achievement helps to feed their self-worth and public appearance. If your partner won’t stop talking about themselves or does not engage in conversations concerning you, there is a large tendency that you are with a narcissistic partner.

They have little or no sense of empathy

Lack of empathy is a significant sign that helps you know you’re in a relationship with a narcissist. A narcissistic partner cannot feel what you’re feeling or understand your perspective. They are usually preoccupied with their feelings and, as a result, feel cold when you need emotional support.

Also, a narcissistic partner will always dismiss your feelings or show no empathy because they believe they are already doing more than you deserve. Making apologies and taking responsibility is also one of the hardest things for a narcissist. So, if your partner lacks empathy or dismisses your feelings, check! You might be dating a narcissist.

They have few or no friends

Narcissists have major difficulty when it comes to keeping friends. Most friendships with a narcissist are usually one-sided, with the other party putting in all the effort to make the friendship work.

In most cases friends of a narcissist get tired of their selfish behaviour and leave. If your partner is someone without friends, there’s a tendency that he/she is narcissistic. Watch out!

They are sensitive to criticism

Narcissists are generally characterised with low self-esteem and are always insecure. These insecurities often reflect in their ability to handle criticism. You must pay attention to your partner and how they handle criticism. 

If your partner gets riled up and mad after being criticised. There’s a higher possibility that you just punctured their over-inflated self-esteem as a narcissist. 

They gaslight you

Gaslighting is a significant form of emotional abuse, and it is common with narcissistic partners. Most narcissistic partners have constant fears of their other half challenging their authority or abandoning them, so they result in gaslighting. A narcissistic partner will accuse you falsely, change and distort the truth to make sure you are emotionally downcast. 

A narcissist does not care about your feelings, so gaslighting you is so easy for them. If your partner makes you feel it is your duty to tolerate all their excesses, watch out.  

They see you as a mirror of themselves

A narcissistic partner will always see you as an extension or mirror of themselves, and this can be tiring. Since they prioritise their appearance, you will be expected to do the same. While this is not bad, a narcissistic partner will make you bend to their social standard, and anything otherwise will be seen as a flaw. You would be subjected to their standard of perfection, and trying to bring up your standards will leave you unheard. 

A narcissist also projects his/her imperfections on their spouse because they see them as an extension of themselves. Trust me, this can be mentally exhausting. 

They feed off external validation

As humans, we all love receiving compliments, which is totally okay. It becomes a narcissistic behaviour when these compliments determine our self-worth. That is a major attribute of a narcissist. A narcissistic partner constantly feeds off comments that validate their grandiose ego.

They rely so much on external validation that they can’t function without it and can go to any length to get this validation from you. If your partner is obsessed with external validation, it is a possibility that you’re with a narcissist. 

They have a high sense of entitlement

Narcissistic partners feel so entitled to special privileges because they feel they are special and different from others. They are always expecting preferential treatment, and when things do not go as expected, they become critical and make a mountain of moth hill situations. 

They constantly pick on you

Narcissists have a major ideology that no one is better than them. So, when you do something worth celebrating, a narcissistic partner will try to pick on you or bring you down with insulting jokes or teasing. They will pick on you in every way possible and undermine your efforts to achieve something they can not achieve. 

Side note: If your partner knocks your feeling of achievement down with insulting jokes and teases, watch out! There is a high tendency that he/she is narcissistic. 

Bottom Line

Being in a relationship with a narcissistic partner can threaten your emotional health. Knowing these  10 signs that show you are in a relationship with a narcissist helps you know when to flee from any relationship that costs your mental health. Be fine, best friend!

If you’ve just left a narcissistic relationship and you need help connecting to a therapist don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team of professional therapists would walk you through that healing part, so you don’t have to walk alone. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

• Can a bad relationship turn you into a narcissist?

A bad relationship has a tendency of turning you into a narcissist. Relationship trauma from a bad relationship plays a significant role in narcissism. 

• Can a narcissist date another narcissist?

A narcissist can date another narcissist. In most situations, these relationships end on a bad note because both parties lack empathy.

• Can you have a normal relationship with a narcissist?

It is impossible to have a normal relationship with a narcissist. A relationship with a narcissist is emotionally, physically, and psychologically draining. That isn’t a normal relationship, is it?