If you’ve been in a narcissistic relationship, you know that the breakup can be toxic. You might have sometimes felt like you lost your identity or sanity. It’s not surprising if you feel like maybe you’ve turned into a walking time bomb of anger and resentment. You may be wondering if you’re becoming toxic, but worry no more. Here are 10 signs you are becoming toxic after being with a narcissist:
Number 1: You Start To Need Attention And Validation From Others.
If you find yourself needing to get noticed and validated by others, you may be exhibiting signs of toxic behavior. It’s a common symptom of an abusive relationship with a narcissist. You love to have attention and validation from others because otherwise, you feel insignificant and worthless. You’ve probably been trained to seek validation from your partner, so it’s no wonder this habit will continue after the relationship is over. If you find yourself craving the approval of others or feeling more insecure than usual, it’s time to pause and ask yourself, “Am I becoming toxic?” If you are, it’s important to reflect on why. It’s also important to question whether or not your need for validation is healthy. It may just be that your sense of self-worth was damaged while being with a narcissist and now needs some work.
Number 2: You Start To Love Drama And Rage Over Little Things.
Being with a narcissist can be emotionally draining. Narcissists are drama-inducing machines. They thrive on conflict and chaos and do everything they can to get you to react in a way that will give them an excuse to lash out at you. After the breakup, you might find yourself acting out and seeking drama, which is something you never used to do. You find yourself getting into huge fights over little things with friends, family members, and even strangers on the street who cut you off when you’re driving. You might start taking things personally that aren’t even about you or get angry over the most harmless things. If this is happening to you, it’s time to seek help. This is because the narcissist has conditioned your brain to believe everything is a crisis. You’ll have to retrain yourself to recognize when something isn’t worth getting upset about and instead just let it go.
Number 3: You Start Feeling Superior To Other People.
Do you feel like you’re the best? Do you start making fun of people for their stupidity or lack of intelligence? If so, it’s time to take a step back. Narcissists are toxic, and they make their partners toxic as well. If you feel superior to others because of your lack of empathy or inability to connect with others, there is a good chance you are becoming toxic after being with the narcissist. Narcissists make us feel like we’re not good enough for them, which leads us to feeling inferior and worthless. Your self-esteem has been so damaged that you are beginning to see yourself as superior. You may even start seeing others as inferior and want to prove it by treating them like garbage or abusing them somehow. If this is happening to you, please seek help immediately.
Number 4: You Start To Disrespect Other People’s Boundaries.
You start to disrespect other people’s boundaries. If you’re getting used to being around someone who takes and takes from others without regard for how it makes them feel, you might start doing the same thing. You start disrespecting other people’s boundaries. You become more irritable and angry than usual when people try to stand up to you. It feels like they’re attacking you personally. You feel the need to overcompensate for the neglect and abuse you’ve suffered by disrespecting others’ boundaries in return. You become more aggressive with people who have hurt you in the past. You find yourself going out of your way to hurt them because it feels good for the moment, but it just makes things worse for everyone involved. Notice that you’re starting to disrespect other people’s boundaries. A narcissist will have no problem pushing other people’s boundaries, so checking in with yourself is crucial. It might be time to start working on getting your own back.
Number 5: You Start To Feel Lonely And Empty Without Any Reason.
You start to feel lonely and empty without any reason at all. This is one of the most common signs of becoming toxic after being with a narcissist. It’s not just because they have left you, but also because they have made you feel that way. A narcissist will do everything in their power to make you feel like you are not good enough. So, it’s no surprise that you feel like nothing more than a shell of your former self once they leave. You may feel like your heart has been ripped out of your chest, even when you’re in the middle of a group of friends or family members. You will feel like no one understands you, and that your life has become meaningless. You may also find yourself feeling anxious and depressed with no real reason why. You might get used to the negative feelings of loneliness that they begin to seem normal to you. If this happens to you, you must seek support from friends and family members who can help you through this difficult time.
Number 6: You Are Too Sensitive To Criticism And Judgment.
One sign that your relationship might be toxic is that you become too sensitive to criticism and judgment from others. Narcissists can be critical of others because they believe they are better than everyone else and don’t need to listen to anyone else’s opinion. Find yourself getting upset when someone criticizes your work or how you dress? It may be a sign that being around narcissists negatively affects your self-esteem. You may also feel like others don’t understand you or appreciate your contributions at work or in social situations. When you’re constantly being judged and criticized, it’s easy to start believing that everyone else is judging and criticizing you too. But if you find yourself overreacting to criticism or judgment, it could be a sign that your self-esteem has taken a hit from the narcissist in your life.
Number 7: You Start To Lash Out At People When You Don’t Get What You Want.
You start to lash out at people when you don’t get what you want. If you’ve been dealing with a narcissist, you’ve become accustomed to getting your way. But when you start to lash out at others when you don’t get what you want, it’s a sign that your behavior is becoming toxic. You may not even realize it at first. Still, if you’re getting angry or upset at people just trying to be nice or doing things differently than you would like them to, it’s time to look in the mirror and ask yourself why. This may be just a symptom that being around narcissists can cause stress and tension in your life. But if these feelings continue after leaving the relationship behind, it’s time for self-reflection. It’s essential to stop taking out your anger on other people. Instead, take the time to understand why something isn’t going your way instead of blaming others for not giving in to your demands.
Number 8: You Have A Hard Time Trusting People.
You have a hard time trusting people. It’s hard to trust people after being with a narcissist because they’ve made you feel like your life is a lie. You thought you were in love, but it turns out that wasn’t real. It was just an elaborate manipulation scheme. And if someone else tries to tell you they’re in love with you now, what if it’s just more lies? What if they’re just trying to manipulate you again? You probably have a good reason for feeling this way. But here’s some good news: it can get better. We all know that it’s not easy to trust people after being betrayed by someone we love and care about. It might take a while before your brain stops believing every word they say and starts believing them again. But it will happen. You just need time and space to heal from this trauma without pushing anyone away.
Number 9: You Start To Feel Like Everybody Is Happy To See You Fail.
You start to feel like everybody is happy to see you fail. This is one of the most common signs of toxicity after being with a narcissist. You start to feel like everybody is happy to see you fail, and nobody cares about your success. The truth is, this isn’t true at all. It’s easy for this mindset to bleed over into other areas of your life, especially when it comes to what people think of you and who will be happy that things didn’t work out for you. But here’s the thing: if somebody is pleased and supportive of your goals and dreams, they’ll be happy for you even if things end up not working out exactly as planned. They’ll still want to see you succeed, even if it means that some other things don’t work out quite so well for them.
Number 10: You Start To Feel Jealous Of Other People’s Successes.
You start to feel jealous of other people’s successes. When you’re in the presence of a narcissist, it’s hard not to feel like you’re never enough. When you start to feel jealous of other people’s successes, it could signify that you’re becoming toxic after being with a narcissist. But after you break up with someone so toxic, it can be hard to know if your feelings are normal or if they result from being around a narcissist for so long. You may feel jealous when someone else is getting something nice or a promotion at work, even if it has nothing to do with you or your accomplishments. You may also feel envious when someone else receives praise from a boss or partner. These feelings can be hard to understand because they don’t make sense at first glance.
Still, if you’ve been exposed enough, it will eventually make sense why these feelings are coming up for you. Now, if you’re in the process of recovering from a relationship with a narcissist, you might experience some withdrawal symptoms. Some of these are normal, and some of them are not. You may have noticed your behavior and emotions changing after leaving a narcissist. You may act like an abuser or feel the same about other people as you did about them. These 10 signs will help you assess whether you’re becoming toxic or not. If this is happening to you, it’s essential to know that it’s not your fault and it’s not permanent.
Read More: 10 Signs that Someone Was Raised by a Narcissist.
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