Articles About Narcissism in Relationships

Reflections on 13 Months of No Contact (Re-post)

It’s been many, many months since the narcissist vanished into thin air, granting me the Grand Finale of Discards that I’d always known he’d give me on his way out some day. However, since I am always asked if it’s really possible to escape the madness, I thought I’d re-post the following article that gave

5 Undeniable Truths: A 2016 Narc Recovery Recap

By Zari Ballard12 Comments

As 2016 comes to a close, I thought it important to run a recap of the major points – the undeniable truths – that are key to our recovery from a narcissistic abuser. In my book When Love Is a Lie , I use the term “undeniable truth” to describe what I consider to be a “truth”

Narcissists, Holidays, & Dealing With the Christmas Grinch

By Zari Ballard62 Comments

The narcissist will always be the Grinch that steals our Christmas. With that said, I bet I could leave the rest of the page blank, letting you fill in the blanks! Yes, it’s that time of year again, friends! Readers who suffer the Holiday Discard will always understand what I’m talking about because narcissists and

Narcissists, Holidays, & the Seasonal Discard

By Zari Ballard47 Comments

With the holiday season upon us, those in relationships with narcissistic partners will be doing some extra special suffering. Narcissists are legendary holiday buzz killers and, if the narcissist is your partner, you could end up in any one of a number of situations depending upon your place in the narcissistic queue. Yes, as the

Narcissism In a Nutshell – Connecting the Dots! (Book Excerpt)

By Zari Ballard8 Comments

Although I’ve written several detailed books about narcissism in relationships, I’ve come to realize that there are those who want nothing more than a quick answer to that one nagging question: is he or isn’t he? Based on my correspondence and conversations with narcissist abuse victims worldwide, this is, indeed, the question of the hour

Our Post-Narc Life & The Angst of Emotional Residue

By Zari Ballard11 Comments

So many of us who successfully move on from a break-up with a narcissist still, for various reasons, feel what can best be described as an emotional residue. It’s like an icky feeling that we can’t quite seem to wash off no matter how hard we try or how long this person has been out

Why a Narcissist’s “Break-up” Never Seems Real

By Zari Ballard87 Comments

Narcissistic partners may discard us but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we will feel broken-up. Narcissists may give us the never-ending silent treatment but that doesn’t mean we feel any more disconnected. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. The more a narcissist “breaks-up” with us, the more irrationally connected we feel to this person…sometimes to

Narcissists Manage Down Our Relationship Expectations

By Zari Ballard58 Comments

The narcissist will, over time, manage down our expectations of the relationship so that we expect less and less and he gets away with more and more. This is one of the most powerful weapons in the narcissistic arsenal and it provides the narcissist (male or female) the most rewards. In fact, the narcissist personality

Co-parenting With a Narcissist 101, Part I

By Zari Ballard2 Comments

In many ways, co-parenting with a narcissist ex can be a far more crippling experience than the experience of the relationship itself. Given that we are now finally apart from this person, the fact that we have to continue to suffer simply because we have a child together is a frustrating dynamic. I speak with