Journal Prompts: Navigating Narcissistic Abuse

Hey everyone! Thanks for being here!

I’ve been working on something behind the scenes 👀 that I am very excited about. In the meantime, I wanted to share a little post for those who love to write. Here’s some journal prompts I’ve been working on, I hope this is helpful!

Refresher: What is narcissistic Abuse?

Narcissistic abuse, by definition, is a form of relational abuse of trauma. It consists of patterns of behavior that are consistent with dismissiveness, misattunement, and ignoring. Narcissistic or antagonistic people discourage your expression of needs, which therefore promotes self-abandonment. There is a lack of accountability, awareness, insight, & empathy.

Narcissism and narcissistic abuse are on a continuum - there are many subtypes of narcissism or antagonistic personality styles.

Prompts for the Writers or for those simply just seeking some prompts that help you reflect on your experience ♡

1. What is the first memory that comes to mind as you reflect on your experience? Or, what was the first moment(s) you felt something was “off”?

2. Is there a first moment that you can identify you were overriding your “gut feeling”?

3. The love-bombing and idealization phase of the relationship looks different for everyone. For you, what did it look like? What were some of the things you noticed?

4. What was the first betrayal that you tried to override in your nervous system (out of self-preservation)?

5. Is there anything that feels predictable about their behavior? Any patterns you have been able to recognize over time?

6. Can you name a time where the narcissistic or antagonistic person in your life was hoovering? (They tried to “suck you back in” to the dynamic) What was this experience like? Is there a pattern in terms of frequency or approach?

7. How has this experience, this relationship, this dynamic impacted how you see yourself and the world? What are the feelings you hold toward yourself as a result of this dynamic?

This is simply a starting point. Meet yourself where you are — if some of this is too difficult to write out for yourself, take your time. Healing and recovery are possible, and it definitely is not linear. Allow yourself to experience the grief - there’s a lot of grief in these dynamics. I have some resources in my online store, but I’m working on something bigger… A WORKBOOK! A workbook that contains all of those resources wrapped into one. A workbook that provides you with the language, validates your experience, and gives you a space to process and recover. Stay tuned!

Sending love from New Jersey to wherever you are,

Jay