8 Ways A Narcissist Can Manipulate You

Dealing with a narcissist can be emotionally draining, challenging, and mind-numbing. It severely harms your ability to think and act rationally, slowly depleting your self-esteem and well-being.

Whether it is a romantic partner, family member, or friend learning how to deal with a narcissist is crucial for your emotional and mental well-being.

Being aware of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and the various techniques a narcissist can use to manipulate you can protect and prevent you from falling prey.

Here are 8 Manipulative Tactics Used By A Narcissist:

Love Bombing: Showering excessive affection, gifts, compliments, and promises very early in the relationship. The aim is to gain the person’s trust and affection to manipulate them more easily later.

Hoovering: Named after the Hoover vacuum, this tactic involves trying to “suck” a person back into the relationship after a breakup or a period of distance. This might involve suddenly proclaiming their love, making grand gestures, or sending nostalgic messages to trigger emotional responses.

Gaslighting: This is a psychological tactic used to make someone question their own reality or sanity. The narcissist will deny facts, manipulate situations, and lie outright to make others doubt their own perceptions, memory, and sanity.

Triangulation: In this tactic, they bring a third person into the dynamics of the relationship, creating competition, doubt, or jealousy. They might compare their partner unfavorably with others or share private information with outsiders to undermine the partner’s confidence.

Flying Monkeys: A term borrowed from “The Wizard of Oz,” this refers to people that a narcissist manipulates to enforce their agenda against the victim. These individuals are often unaware of the manipulation and believe they are helping to resolve a situation.

Silent Treatment: The narcissist punishes the person by ignoring them for an extended period. This passive-aggressive behavior is used to control, punish, or frighten the partner, often leading the victim to beg for reconciliation.

Projection: This involves projecting their own negative behaviors or feelings onto their partner. For instance, a narcissist who is unfaithful may frequently accuse their partner of cheating.

Weaponizing: This tactic involves the narcissist using intimate knowledge or vulnerabilities shared by the partner in confidence against them. This could be in the form of public embarrassment, blackmail, or as leverage in personal arguments.

How Can Therapy Help?

Dealing with a narcissist depletes your life and the heightened stress can lead to chronic illnesses. At Holistic Living Center, our therapists have helped many men and women overcome the challenges of a narcissistic relationship and rebuild themselves.

Therapy offers a non-judgemental space where you can be open and honest about your feelings and thoughts. The therapists at Holistic Living Center provides unconditional support and compassion which is crucial in the process of healing.

Therapy helps you ignite your inner strength and develop courage to cope with a narcissist. You will learn how to set boundaries, take a stand for yourself, and prioritize your happiness.

Read how therapy at Holistic Living Center helped Mahima overcome narcissistic abuse for 7 years!

If you are struggling with any form of abuse or manipulation then talk to a therapist today. Call/WhatsApp 91–9321073548 or Click This Link to connect with top therapists.