- Establish healthy boundaries with the narcissist to send the message that you won’t let them push you around.
- Stay calm when they try to get a rise out of you. Use non-accusatory “I” statements to express yourself and try to soothe them with empathy and active listening.
- Lean on loved ones, support groups, or therapists if needed. If you feel unsafe or are being abused, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
Setting Healthy Boundaries
Decide what behavior you will and will not accept. Think about how the person has violated your boundaries in the past and what you’d like to see change. This may include the way they talk to you, their expectations of you, or how they treat you in general. Make a list of anything the person has said or done that has violated your boundaries. Some examples of boundary violations may include: Calling you names Threatening you Shouting or screaming at you Blaming you for their problems Criticizing you or making fun of you Demanding that you do things for them Lying to you and denying it later
Express your boundaries to the person in a direct, yet gentle manner. It’s important to express your needs to the person in a direct manner so that it’s very clear what you’re requesting. However, with a narcissist, you may have more success if you avoid making demands of them. For example, you might say something like, “I enjoy spending time with you, but I’ll have to leave if you call me that name again.” Or, you might say, “I’m glad you called, but I will need to hang up if you keep yelling at me.” Keep your tone friendly and your voice calm. Avoid getting angry about the things they say and do. For example, avoid responses like, “You can’t talk to me like that! I’m leaving!” or “If you don’t stop yelling at me right now, I’m hanging up!” These statements are more forceful and a narcissist may get more upset in response.
Follow through with consequences for violating a boundary. Once you’ve expressed the boundary to the person and the consequence for violating it, see if they abide by it. If they violate the boundary you’ve just set, follow through with your pre-established consequence. For example, if you tell the person you’re going to leave if they call you a specific name again and they repeat the name, then get up and leave. If you have warned the person that you will hang up on them if they keep yelling at you and they continue to yell, hang up the phone. Make sure that you follow through with your established consequence right away. Don’t give them a second warning, hesitate, or give in if they try to apologize or convince you to stay using flattery.
Anticipate changes in your relationship as a result of your boundaries. Once you start setting boundaries with the person and enforcing them on a regular basis, you may notice that the person behaves differently around you or wants to spend less time around you. This is because they will have realized the dynamic is changing and they cannot get what they want from you as easily or at all any more. This is a good thing, but it may be difficult at first. For example, after setting boundaries with the person about the way they speak to you, you might notice them speaking to you less or ignoring you completely. Even though the change might be quite noticeable, don’t indicate that you’ve noticed any difference in their behavior or your relationship with them.
Reflect and regroup if you become lax with your boundaries. There might come a time when you do not enforce your boundaries or when the person finds a way to skirt them. If this happens, reflect on the situation and identify how you can reinforce your boundaries in the future. For example, if you have set a boundary about leaving the room if the person calls you names or threatens you, but you don’t leave the room on one occasion, reflect on why this happened. Were you distracted? Did they do or say something to make you stay? How can you overcome this obstacle to enforcing your boundaries the next time? Keep in mind that enforcing your boundaries will be an ongoing part of your relationship with the person. Be persistent and continue to enforce your boundaries with the person on a regular basis.
Responding to the Person’s Behavior
Stay calm and avoid rising to their attempts to upset you. Narcissists often make comments that are meant to get a rise out of you, but don’t take the bait. Respond calmly to what a narcissist says to you, and if you find yourself getting upset, stop and take a deep breath or go for a walk to calm yourself before you engage with them. It’s perfectly fine to walk away from the person if they’re being abusive towards you. If the person is criticizing you, blaming you, calling you names, threatening you, or doing something else that is upsetting you, you have every right to walk away.
Listen to the person carefully and attentively when they talk. Narcissistic people like to be the center of attention, so they often talk a lot. Be prepared to be on the receiving end of most conversations and show them that you're actively listening to them. Some things you can do to show that you’re listening include: Smiling and nodding while maintaining eye contact. Saying things like, “Yes,” “I see,” and “Mmhmm,” to encourage them to keep talking. Asking questions to clarify if something they say is unclear, such as “What did you mean when you said you had a bad day?”
Distract them by asking about a topic that interests them. Narcissists love to talk about themselves and share what they know, so asking a narcissist about something that they find interesting is a good way to distract them from their anger. This may be especially useful if they’ve been arguing with you or verbally attacking you. For example, if the person knows a lot about cars, you might ask them a question about cars. Or, if they consider themselves knowledgeable about money, you could ask them for financial advice. You might have to wait until the person has calmed down slightly to engage them in this way. For instance, if they’re sulking or giving you the silent treatment, try waiting 20 minutes and then ask them a question to distract them.
Show empathy for their feelings to soothe them. While narcissists are not usually capable of empathy for other people, showing a narcissist empathy can help to calm them down if they’re feeling upset. Try saying something to them to indicate your concern for them and your empathy for how they must feel. For example, you might say something like, “You must have felt very upset to have to wait so long for a ride home.” Or, you might engage them with something like, “It seems like you’re pretty angry right now. What’s bothering you?”
Refuse to feed their superior self-image. A key feature of a narcissistic personality is that they feel superior to other people. As a result, they gravitate towards people who feed this image of themselves, but doing so will only make matters worse. Avoid giving the person what they want if they fish for compliments or brag about themselves. Ignore their comments or change the subject. For example, if the person is going on and on about what a great salesman they are, try saying something like, “Yeah. Oh, by the way, do you have any ideas about what you want to do this weekend?” If you do want to give the person a sincere compliment when you think they deserve it, that’s fine. Just avoid complimenting them all the time or this will inflate their sense of self even more.
Use non-accusatory "I" language to express yourself. Occasionally, you will have a dispute with the narcissist in your life. That individual will likely be offended if you bluntly criticize him or her, but that doesn't mean you need to back down completely. When you point out what the narcissist has done wrong, simply phrase it as a personal and subjective opinion instead of an accusation. In general, "I" language reduces defensiveness, aggressiveness, and rage. Narcissists, especially, are known to demonstrate these traits in excess, so mastering "I" language will give you significant leverage. For example, say "I feel hurt by your actions" instead of saying "You just did something really cruel and careless."
Research what they tell you since narcissists are prone to lying. If something conflicts with their view of themselves, a narcissistic person will reflexively lie to avoid facing it. This means that you may not get accurate information from them 100% of the time. If you have any doubts about what the person is saying, look into it for yourself. Don’t take everything they say as the truth. For example, if the person relays a story about something that happened at work and it makes them out to be the hero, get someone else’s perspective on the matter.
Finding Help & Support
Reach out to friends and family for support. Dealing with a narcissist on a regular basis can be exhausting and disheartening. If the person is a friend, you might be able to avoid spending as much time with them, but it can be especially difficult if you live with the person or work with them. Talk to trustworthy friends and family members about what you’re going through and ask for their support. Try saying something like, “I think John may be a narcissist and I’m having a hard time dealing with him. If I need to talk sometime, can I call you?”
Join a support group or online forum to connect with others. If you’re not getting enough support from friends and family or if you just want a different group of people to talk with about your experiences, look into a support group. You may be able to find a local support group, or you can join an online forum if there are not any groups in your area. Try looking on mental health websites to find local and online support groups, or join a forum on a website, such as Reddit.
Find a therapist to talk through your feelings. Having a safe space to vent and share about your relationship with a narcissistic person can help you to feel better in your day-to-day life. A therapist can also teach you tools for communicating with the narcissistic person and responding when they say or do upsetting things. You can ask your doctor for a referral, ask friends and family for suggestions, or search online to find a therapist.
Call a domestic abuse hotline if you’re being abused. If the situation has become verbally, emotionally, or physically abusive, reach out to people who can help you. Call a domestic abuse hotline or call emergency services if you’re in danger, such as if the person is threatening you or trying to attack you physically. There are different types of abuse, such as physical, which can include hitting or throwing things at you, verbal and emotional, which can include yelling, blaming, or ordering you to do something, as well as sexual, which can involve them forcing you to touch them or have sex with them. No abuse is acceptable. If you feel threatened or in danger, reach out for help. Reader Poll: We asked 271 wikiHow readers who’ve been victims of abuse, and 65% agreed that it's important to maintain safe boundaries after leaving a dangerous partner by blocking their number and social media accounts. [Take Poll]
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