The narcissistic mother is cold, robotic, ruthless and cruel. She has no real feelings for her children except for the one who is most like her–the golden one. This is the special boy or girl whom she has picked as a living god like a pharaoh. NMs live through these children who can do no wrong, who have no limits and are allowed to abuse their brothers and sisters without any consequences.
Unchosen children live in constant fear, apprehension, always waiting for the next catastrophe. Their nervous systems are always turned on the fight or flight syndrome. They don’t know what it means to feel safe. Many of them have horrible insomnia or night terrors. They worry that mother will come in and start screaming at them or even beating them. Secret punishments that cause humiliation and constant terror are meted out regularly. When you live with a narcissistic mother you exist in a kind of gulag. There is no escape; you feel helpless and alone and there is an enduring sense that this hell is never going to end. Some children of narcissistic mothers feel deep inside that they are bad and defective human beings. “What have I done wrong?” What horrible things have I done to mom that she hates me so much? “I can’t stop hearing her screaming in my ears?” “I get scared every night that she’s coming in my room to hit me and then send me away. Where will I go?’
Every despicable word or deed you can imagine has been perpetrated by narcissistic mothers, especially if they are sociopathic. They are highly sadistic and smirk and smile when their children are most terrified by them. They love to shock even a small child just to watch the kind of power they have over him. They cram food down their throats, put them on hunger regimens, make them eat food that has spoiled, demand they stand in their feces for hours. You name it, they’ve done it!.
The psychological impact of having a narcissistic mother is devastating. There are actually some people who don’t believe these life stories. I say the hell with them. Don’t give anyone who doesn’t believe you the slightest attention. You know exactly what you have live through. There are so many people who are incapable of empathy. If it didn’t happen to them, it doesn’t exist. How narcissistic is that!
Adult children of narcissistic mothers can continue to suffer in the aftermath of their abuse. Many of them find healing by working with excellent psychotherapists, practicing healing modalities like gentle yoga with its emphasis on the slow breath through the nostrils, acupuncture can bring the quieting parasympathetic nervous system experience to those who have suffered this level of abuse. Many survivors of maternal narcissistic abuse find their way back to inner peace, the loving acceptance of their real selves and the activation of their creative gifts. To learn about the narcissistic personality in-depth, visit my website:thenarcissistinyourlife.com
Linda Martinez-Lewi, Ph.D.
Telephone Consultation: United States and International
Book: Freeing Yourself from the Narcissist in Your Life
Email: lmlphd@thenarcissistinyourlife.com