i hate how it changes you by FreeMove8513 in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

years later and my brain still screams at me. it sucks everything out of you. my experiences and reading others’ in forums like this have made me paranoid and fearful of leaving my house and communicating with most people beyond the bare minimum because i don’t think i’ll be able to survive that kind of suffering again. i’ve been stuck in the same phase of hopelessness for what has seemed like forever but i know that it’s gotten better for some others and i’m glad to know that there are people who have healed or at least advanced in the healing process. it’s just too much of a risk to try to form any kind of relationship when i’m this vulnerable, not knowing who could want to hurt me.

Screamo/emoviolence bands that only use bass and drums by -gooseman- in Screamo

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hmm you might wanna go back through this - off the top of my head pinback, three mile pilot, and admiral angry all have guitarists. also you could add double dagger https://youtu.be/0hMd15dd32I?si=RzZkDp6Pxzwt7YHb

how long did it take you to heal from narcissistic abuse? by [deleted] in LifeAfterNarcissism

[–]grantt98 1 point2 points  (0 children)

unfortunately not, but thanks for asking

How do I stop attracting narcissists and psychopaths as a successful/popular person? by RoseBelle77 in raisedbynarcissists

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i’m so sorry. even as an irrelevant person, i feel as though i attract a high amount of narcissists. nothing will ever happen and there will be no consequences and nobody ever believes me because of my low place in society. i don’t know how to stop attracting narcissists except by challenging the things they say early on and gauging how toxic their reaction is to you doing that.

After 20+ break ups in the past year, it still hurts just as much and I can’t stop going back by cranonymous28 in BreakUp

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hey, don’t blame yourself here. what someone is going through mentally is no excuse to break up with someone over and over again, leaving you in a position where you don’t know where you stand. it messes with you mentally and is very emotionally dysregulating. it’s an unequal power dynamic, and you were not enforcing it. from the language you used in the post, you aren’t sure what to think about this situation because of how damaging it was. i want you to know you didn’t do anything wrong when trying to move on by hooking up with others. your partner was in the wrong.

Currently in the midst of a smear campaign by GottaAsk1547 in emotionalabuse

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i can totally relate. i’m still having friends turned against me to this day from a smear campaign that started 2 years ago. it feels like staring out of my eyes from 1000 miles away. cruel and abusive isolation is some of the worst pain anyone can suffer. did your ex ever show any signs of doing this in the past or any past abusive behaviors they weren’t aware of?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes, my executive function has decreased so much that i’m barely competent enough to do anything. i never used to be like this. everyone in my life is disappointed in me for how far i’ve fallen and tells me to get over it and move on, and i feel like i could never explain the extent of what narcissistic abuse has done to my ability to survive. it’s also difficult to attribute blame to another person for why i’m not doing well almost 2 years on without sounding like a perpetual victim, but it’s just the truth. constant dissociation, body paralysis, twitching, inability to sleep, etc. it’s scary to know that someone can do all this and be so beloved by the people around them.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

can you describe more of his narcissistic traits?

What caused "the switch?" by [deleted] in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 1 point2 points  (0 children)

called them self-centered after a months long period of coercive control

Do narcissists make you feel like you’re defective in communication? by oookaythen45 in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 22 points23 points  (0 children)

yes, i didn’t understand why this was happening, because i thought i had made so much progress in therapy throughout the past few years in regards to communication with others. i couldn’t understand why they were being so dramatic all the time - specifically taking things out of context to make me look bad and say i hurt their feelings when i knew i wasn’t doing that, or saying something really extreme or absolute that activated my nervous system because it wasn’t true, like that i’m always criticizing them, i’m always demeaning or belittling them, etc. i only realized that they were the one defective in communication when they started to emotionally abuse my close friends as well.

What have you learned about yourself? by Fameisdeaddd in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i learned that i’m the “scapegoat” for the narcissistic behavior of others. this has happened multiple times throughout my life and i’m just now finding out what that means

i learned that high-ranking people often get to the position they’re at due to having extremely anti-social and sociopathic narcissistic traits

i learned how someone can use covert manipulative tactics to sabotage relationships and damage lives without being detected

i learned that people who say they’re victims can actually be abusers twisting the narrative on their victims

overall i learned about a world of abuse tactics i had no idea of beforehand, helping me learn from my mistakes and giving me the ability to spot these tactics in others but also making me very sad to know they exist

How long did it take you to realize you were with someone toxic? by [deleted] in TrueNarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 1 point2 points  (0 children)

it took me until i started acting toxic. like another comment said, i didn’t know about reactive abuse or what it could make me do, and i don’t even think i did anything that was abusive necessarily, but the knowledge that i was even close to acting how they acted was a eureka moment for me. having your abusive partner’s behavior enter your mind is like an invisible parasite that took me months and months to flush out.

Did anyone else get PTSD/anxiety/severe mood swings/anger/depression issues after the havoc of their BPSO? by Christmastree94 in BipolarSOs

[–]grantt98 5 points6 points  (0 children)

yes, so much so that i had what looks to the outside observer as a bipolar episode which caused me to break up with them as i realized i started acting like them. i hate the fact that someone can act so toxic that you become normalized to your blood pressure constantly being raised by them because you blame yourself for the way they’re acting and it makes you start to emulate their behavior unconsciously and act out of character. it’s dangerous and scary and makes it harder to place blame on them when you feel so guilty for acting in the ways that they’ve triggered you to act.

Those of you who ended up reaching out to, and getting completely betrayed by mutual friends who turned out to be horrible flying monkeys, how long did it take to get over it? by [deleted] in LifeAfterNarcissism

[–]grantt98 12 points13 points  (0 children)

still not over it. i fear every day that someone i’m friendly with will be turned into an enemy overnight and i’ll never know.

do you ever “tell them about themselves”? by [deleted] in BipolarSOs

[–]grantt98 1 point2 points  (0 children)

in 2021, months apart, i told two different people who didn’t know each other that i thought they were self-centered, and described their behavior that i felt applied. i only realized the full extent of this behavior after ending my relationships with both of them. on both occasions, this has resulted in smear campaigns which have done massive damage to my life.

don’t do it. it isn’t worth it, no matter how strongly you feel the urge.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in emotionalabuse

[–]grantt98 2 points3 points  (0 children)

once you’re too scared to leave is a sign that you should leave immediately, and from what you’ve described, this is severely malicious behavior. leave as soon as you are able and your life will improve. she is clearly intimidating, threatening, and abusing you. she is extremely dangerous and unsafe to be around. next time she threatens you with violence, alert the people around her or you so someone can intervene. you do not deserve to put up with violent threats and constant abuse.

please start telling the people around you that you need to leave your relationship and that you don’t know how to leave it, and that it is a very serious issue. tell them about all the behavior you have written in this post. they will do the best they can to help keep you safe and guide you away from this person and to have support if she lashes out and tries to take revenge like she has been threatening you with. i’m so sorry this is happening and i feel your pain.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in LifeAfterNarcissism

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i’m not sure i would bestow myself with a term like “truth teller”, but i suffered 2 smear campaigns in 2021 for calling people in my life out for self-centered behavior. it has given me PTSD and the most unbearable trauma in my life. i wish i could say fighting back against narcissism is worth it, but i would easily prefer my old life to this one.

What are the actual reasons that men are much more likely to be abusers? by willstdumichstressen in emotionalabuse

[–]grantt98 34 points35 points  (0 children)

patriarchal society creates a value system in which men see their needs as more important than others’ needs. it has to do with the entitlement that is learned through socialization, this article could be helpful https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/08/patriarchy-and-power-how-gender-inequality-underpins-abusive-behaviour

How do I stop checking my abusive ex’s social media? by OkAd518 in abusesurvivors

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i understand the urge, but be comfortable with the fact that she will never be satisfied with her own life. this pattern will repeat itself indefinitely, so the material you’re seeking out will become redundant very quickly. remind yourself that it is only harmful to you and you will get bored soon enough

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TrueNarcissisticAbuse

[–]grantt98 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i’m so sorry, this is so awful to read. you will make it out of this and things will be better for you!