I (25) am going to being spending a decent amount of time at my parent’s home for the next week and a half. I have obligations and I also want to be there to help my mother out. (Side note: we will be hosting a few guests)
My father has narcissistic tendencies and has contributed to my childhood being full of uncertainty, instability, and walking on eggshells. As I’ve gotten older (and my siblings came along) he’s gotten better at masking everything and mainly focuses his abuse at my mother. Although it obviously, affects everyone and the environment is always iffy. One minute could be fine, but the next could be tense and uncomfortable at best.
Recently, his mask has started to slip. Specifically, in the past few days he’s turned his focus more on me (which was not the case when I was younger) Narcissistic abuse is hard to explain and express but essentially he’s been plain mean to me to the point where I really try avoid interacting with him.
However, this event is coming up, so I’m going to be around him a lot more. Any advice on how to prepare myself mentally/techniques that have helped others in similar situations? As an important side point, I have an excellent therapist and will be speaking with him. I also wanted to get the perspective of other people as, especially if you’ve been in this kind of position before.
Thank you for reading my post.
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Sorry to hear this. Dealing with a narcissistic parent, especially in close quarters, can be incredibly draining. Try the Gray Rock Method: Be boring – give short, neutral responses. Don’t engage. Set boundaries and limit interaction; say, “I’m not discussing this,” and walk away. Narcissists thrive on engagement—giving minimal responses deprives them of fuel. Mentally detach, remind yourself his words are about him, not you.