In last week’s post, I talked about how physical abuse IS psychological abuse without the obvious scars. Today, I want to talk about how narcissism, at its core, is soul cannibalism…. which is the slow, methodical, unwinding of a person’s mind and emotions. Essentially, narcissists murder another person’s soul.
This attempt at annihilation takes place very covertly, and undercover, so potential observers have no idea what is happening behind closed doors.
The following definition of the term “cannibalism” is the most fitting when it comes to narcissism: “Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food.”
Now, of course, narcissists don’t literally “eat” their prey (although physical health is most certainly degraded)…
Rather, they are experts at whittling away at the unsuspecting victim’s mental and emotional health until that person becomes a mere shadow of their former self.
In lieu of consuming flesh and blood, a toxic, disordered person will ever so slowly undermine the person they’ve chosen to target, by using various control tactics that may be so subtle in the beginning, that the target doesn’t know they’re being manipulated and coerced.
As the abuse continues, the victim gradually comes to an understanding that something isn’t right, yet they can’t clearly identify the problem.
This inability to put their finger on what is happening is due to the sinister nature of narcissism. It’s not until the narcissist ups their ante that the lights go on in the person’s head that something, is indeed, terribly wrong.
Victims of narcissists are notorious for saying, that the person they were before they experienced narcissistic abuse, is a world apart from the person they’ve become under the cruel hand of their abuser.
One of the saddest facts about this scenario is that narcissism is rampant in marriages and families. Narcissistic abuse is an “inside” problem, so to speak.
This intentional, and premeditated, annihilation of a human soul is the result of years, and sometimes decades, of abuse. At this point, the victim is so undermined and confused, that escaping the relationship seems virtually impossible.
The damage inflicted by this long, drawn out death is inexplicable and unimaginable in its scope and severity. This is why education regarding narcissism is key…
It’s not until the abused person fully comprehends that their abuser has a personality disorder, that no amount of counseling or goodwill can fix… it’s only then that they come to the stark realization that their only option for survival is escaping the relationship.
Understanding that narcissists all use the same control tactics is further evidence that this is no ordinary marriage problem. In truth, narcissism is a spiritual problem that requires a spiritual solution.
Stay tuned for next week’s post where I will be talking about narcissism as a spiritual issue.
Click the links below if you’d like to learn more about this sinister disorder and all of its damaging repercussions.
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