EMOTIONAL WOUND THESAURUS

BEING RAISED BY A NARCISSIST



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HELPFUL TIP:

Emotional wounds will steer a character's behavior, corrupt his worldview, and cause negative traits to form. To understand exactly how this occurs, please read our tutorial for the Wound Thesaurus.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect.
NOTES:
Narcissism can be defined as excessive interest in one's self. A parent like this will be obsessed with furthering their own interests and agendas, to the detriment of everyone around them, including their children. A person might have been raised by a narcissistic parent if that adult...

EXAMPLES:
Withheld love and affection via the silent treatment
Demanded excellence and then took credit for the child's successes
Demanded full compliance to every wish and whim
Rarely displayed physical affection
Critiqued every mistake and misstep
Complained about the child being a burden
Showed anger instead of compassion when an injury or life event caused inconvenience
Pitted siblings against one another, encouraging competition
Displayed cruelty, possibly employing emotional and physical abuse
Refused help when it was needed
Frequently undermined their children's progress and then blamed them for being stupid
Made the son or daughter feel responsible for the parent's happiness and well-being
Caused everyone to walk on eggshells due to their high expectations, mood swings, etc.
Made threats and manipulated to get their way
Expected others to cater to them because they were special or important in some way
Purposely took statements out of context to use them against others
Gave conflicting advice to create a no-win situation
Lived out personal dreams through their children

WOUND CATEGORY:
Misplaced Trust and Betrayals, Specific Childhood Wounds

BASIC NEEDS OFTEN COMPROMISED BY THIS WOUND:
safety and security, love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

LIES THAT MAY DEVELOP FOR CHARACTERS WITH THIS WOUND:
Love is how people manipulate you
Love is conditional
They're a failure and a burden to those around them
Wanting something for themselves is selfish; they need to put others first
They're too flawed to ever be loved by anyone
They're not talented or smart enough to distinguish themselves
To matter, you need to be the best
To avoid being hurt, you have to hit first

THE CHARACTER MAY FEAR:
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POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND RESULTS:
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POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAY RESULT:
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NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT MAY RESULT:
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TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THIS WOUND:
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STEPS TOWARD HEALING:
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OPPORTUNITIES TO FACE OR OVERCOME THIS WOUND:
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