The Things a Narc Will Say to Keep you Off Balance
Forgetting them is a form of unconscious self-protection
Blocking out traumatic events is a well-known psychological phenomenon known as “dissociative amnesia”. While it can relate to major life events such as war, accidents or natural disasters, it can also occur where a person is under severe stress such as that caused by abuse.
Dissociative amnesia (“DA”) extends beyond “forgetfulness” and is not the same as the amnesia that can be caused by a brain injury. With DA, the memories still exist but are deeply buried and cannot be recalled (although they may resurface on their own or after being triggered).
DA is statistically more common in women than in men and interestingly when you consider the impact of prolonged exposure to narcissistic abuse, people with this disorder can appear confused and can also suffer from depression and/or anxiety. No kidding! They are both my old friends.
A catalogue of outrageous things once said that can’t be unsaid
Everytime my Narc makes another outrageously rude and/or disingenuous remark to me, I think “Oh, just another one to add to the pile of hurtful remarks” but — and here is the big BUT — sometimes when I try and remember the last remark…
