1. They second-guess what other people say.
When someone’s gone through narcissistic abuse, they tend to doubt what others say. For instance, if they’re in a relationship and their partner says something sweet, instead of taking it at face value, they might wonder, “Are they serious or trying to trick me?” This habit forms because they’ve been manipulated or criticized a lot before. Psychologists say it’s like a defense mechanism kicking in to protect them from getting hurt again. Victims of narcissistic abuse get super sensitive to possible manipulation of what people say, so even simple stuff gets questioned. It makes it hard for them to believe others without doubting their motives.
Recommended Book: Becoming the Narcissist’s Nightmare: How to Devalue and Discard the Narcissist While Supplying Yourself- By Shahida Arabi.
2. They display their poker faces at social gatherings.
When people go through narcissistic abuse, they often put on these poker faces in social settings. It’s like wearing a mask to hide what they’re feeling inside. It happens because they’ve been through emotional manipulation and criticism from the narcissist, so they might need to hide their emotions around others. They do not want to show vulnerability or hint at what’s happening inside. Psychologists suggest that this behavior is a survival mechanism to protect oneself from further emotional harm. They mention how victims of narcissistic abuse learn to guard their emotions as a defense mechanism to avoid being hurt again.
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