218 – Summer Series: I’m in a Relationship with a Narcissist

Relationships with narcissists are insidious. They begin one way, and over time, very slowly and covertly, they change and become poisonous.

We wake up one day and wonder what we did wrong and how we got here. We blame ourselves and can even feel embarrassed to tell others.

In today’s very vulnerable show, Tracy shares her story of being married to a narcissist, how his toxic behaviors subtly increased over time and how it affected her sense of self. After marrying who she thought was a wonderful man, her life drastically changed and she began doubting herself. She fell into a depression, lived with anxiety and lost her sense of who she was.

Tracy walks us through her story of waking up to the abuse and getting out of the relationship. We offer advice for others who are in these types of relationships, including what you can do and how to begin to build yourself back up and find your true self again.

Listen to discover:

• How quickly relationships with a narcissist can shift and how confusing they can be
• Why subtle abuse is so easy to miss
• How narcissists whittle down self-esteem and create self-doubt
• Steps you can take to protect yourself or leave if needed
• How refinding yourself after a difficult relationship can be fun and exciting
• The importance of community and friends who can give you a reality check when you’re feeling self-doubt

“You think, ‘I don’t have negative feelings about myself,’ but something in my body was telling me I wasn’t good.” – Tracy

“I saw what his father was doing to him, but I didn’t see what he was doing to me.” – Tracy

“He chopped away your belief in yourself, the self-love you had, your self-worth.” – Michelle Chalfant

“You deserve to be happy. You are a good person. If you feel good about what you’re doing and you’re confident in who you are, be aware of that and remind yourself of that and step out of the picture for a while.” – Tracy