The term “narcissism” comes from the classic story of the doomed Narcissus, who fell in love with his own handsome expression in a pond and wasted away. Narcissism means self-love, and there’s nothing wrong with that in theory. The problem with narcissists is that they put their own needs and feelings above those of anyone else.
If you’re in a romantic entanglement with someone who has narcissist disorder, or if you have someone in your family with it, then you will need to set some boundaries. Otherwise, they might try to take advantage of you.
Let’s discuss some boundaries you might put in place.
Table of Contents
Make the Person Acknowledge You
Getting someone who has narcissism disorder to acknowledge that you’re an independent person with thoughts, feelings, and opinions of your own can be a genuine challenge.
It might be necessary sometimes to force them to acknowledge that you feel a particular way if that is important to you.
Make It Clear that No Means No
You might not be comfortable doing something that the narcissist wants you to do. That may be something physical if you’re in an intimate relationship. It might mean they want you to do something you feel is beyond the scope of what you think of as your relationship parameters.
If you get to a juncture where you don’t want to do something that the narcissist wants, say no and stick to it. Make them see your feelings as valid.
Let Them Know There’s a Limit to Your Indulgence
A narcissist will often struggle to even comprehend that they’re asking a lot from you, even if it would be obvious to any other objective person. If you see that you need to point out this problematic behavior, then do it.
Make sure the narcissist knows that you’re willing to indulge them, but only up to a point. Only
you can decide when you’ve reached that limit.
Don’t Allow Them to Share Your Personal Information
A narcissist is self-centered, so they might not acknowledge sometimes they’re doing something harmful to you. Revealing sensitive information about you to someone else is something they may do without thinking about it twice.
Make it clear that if they’re going to do that, then you will terminate your relationship with them. That is an appropriate boundary to set, regardless of whether the narcissist in your life is a partner, parent, sibling, etc.
ALSO READ: How to Handle Disagreements in a Relationship
Create Personal Space When You Need It
A narcissist wants what they want, and your feelings will almost always be secondary. If they want to have you around, it can get to feel like they are smothering you.
If you feel you cannot deal with that anymore and you need some personal space, then demand it. If you say you don’t want to see that person for a while and you don’t want them to contact you using any method, make sure they respect those wishes.
In these ways, you may be able to retain a relationship with a narcissist.
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How do you set boundaries in a Narcissistic Relationship?
Being in a relationship with a narcissistic partner can be emotionally draining and damaging to your self-esteem. Setting boundaries is crucial to protecting your well-being and maintaining a healthy relationship. How else can you set boundaries in a narcissistic relationship?
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