Is it possible to be happy with a narcissist

You literally have very little time to consider your own needs or fulfillment. To be happy in a relationship requires healthy, equal, rational partnership.

Sadly, this reasonable expectation is likely to enrage a narcissist. Instead, they work around people. They lie, manipulate, and gaslight instead of really caring or making an effort to compromise. Relationships with a narcissist often require too much pretending or capitulation to foster much happiness. And if you have suffered from narcissistic abuse.

A therapist can help you work through your own needs, wants, and relationship history. You get to decide where to go from here. You deserve the support and guidance. Please read more about relationships and trauma therapy. It's important to be careful with the term narcissist these days, it's true.

Unfortunately, as we all know, it takes all kinds of people to make a world. Strong and healthy relationships form the foundation of our wellbeing, so how do we avoid the perils of unhealthy ones? Developing an awareness of those characters who will not be good for us, including those with significant narcissistic tendencies, is one way.

But we often use them without a full understanding of their meaning. These labels were developed as descriptions of human behaviour and can exist across a spectrum. As you look around, you might see narcissistic traits and tendencies in friends, family, your own partner and maybe even yourself. From time to time, we all become a little self-focused and self-important, we want others to admire us and see us as special, and we might even be a little selfish or insensitive.

This is in fact quite normal, and can even sometimes be healthy. The key factor to look for is whether an individual can be caring and sensitive at least some of the time. While narcissistic behaviour exists on a spectrum, someone who would meet the criteria for NPD would consistently display at least five of the following criteria:.

In addition, a person with NPD will have a lot invested in projecting an image of having a perfect and happy relationship.

Shameless 'self-promoters' rewarded at work. Narcissists 'irritating but successful'. Narcissism 'bad route to popularity'. Image source, Getty Images. Narcissism seems to be on the rise, whether in social media or politics. Narcissists might be irritating, but they're also successful Self-promoters do nothing but still get ahead at work Is narcissism on the rise?

Ultimately, to live a half decent life with a narcissist, you have to sacrifice a lot of who you are, and what you stand for. Also, said Neo, you have to accept you're going to be lied to all the time. For a narcissist to be happy, you'll always have to accept their version of events as the truth. Otherwise, you'll be on the receiving end of their narcissistic rage. Even if you do everything they ask, a narcissist will still try and undermine you at every opportunity.

It's not like they're going to reward you for good behaviour. Then, when you've made all the plans, they'll say they want to be spontaneous, and you'll end up doing something else. If you protest the decision, you'll get called needy and demanding. Narcissists are always looking for someone else to blame. And if you're in a relationship with one, chances are that'll be you.

So to make the relationship work, you'll have to take them belittling you at every turn, and calling you crazy and oversensitive if you dare react. Essentially, you'll be made to feel bad for every feeling you have. They will try to beat and change you into somebody else. This may even include your career.