22 Stages of Relationship Between An Empath And Narcissist

The Minds Journal
3 min readMay 16, 2023

Empaths and narcissists are two contrasting personalities that can form a toxic relationship. Empaths have the ability to feel other people’s emotions and show compassion, while narcissists are self-centered, lack empathy and need constant admiration. The following are the 22 stages of relationship between an empath and a narcissist.

The first stage is where the empath is attracted to the narcissist. They believe that the narcissist reciprocates their love and feels emotionally fulfilled by being around them. The empath then gets a false notion that they have finally found a rare kind of love.

In the third stage, the narcissist creates an illusion that they also want the relationship, but what they really want is control over someone who invests their time, energy, and love in them.

In the fourth stage, the narcissist gradually makes the empath feel weak and unconfident, pointing out their shortcomings and taking over control of certain aspects of their lives. This makes the empath feel like they “need” the narcissist in their life.

The empath becomes devoted to the narcissist in the fifth stage. They want to soothe and help them, believing that the unresolved wounds of the narcissist are the same as their own. However, the narcissist sees the empath as a source of narcissistic supply.

In the sixth stage, the empath believes they can heal the narcissist’s wounds and make the relationship healthy, but the narcissist has no intention of changing.

The seventh stage is where the empath realizes that the relationship is all about the narcissist and they are afraid to voice their own needs and desires.

The narcissist gains more control over the empath in the eighth stage, as the empath continues to appease them. However, when the empath finally reaches their breaking point, the relationship becomes problematic.

In the ninth stage, the empath raises their voice and expresses their own emotional needs. This makes the narcissist call them crazy and dismiss their concerns.

The tenth stage is where the empath realizes that the narcissist can never be satisfied and will always seek attention from others.

In the eleventh stage, the empath bursts out and tells the narcissist that their feelings matter too. The narcissist dismisses their concerns and uses this tactic to gain more control over them.

In the twelfth stage, the empath gets confused and wonders if they are worthy of love.

In the thirteenth stage, the empath does not realize that they are being manipulated by the narcissist.

In the fourteenth stage, the empath tries to fix the relationship by sacrificing their own needs and desires.

In the fifteenth stage, the empath starts to feel drained and exhausted from the relationship.

In the sixteenth stage, the empath starts to distance themselves from the narcissist.

In the seventeenth stage, the narcissist becomes angry and tries to gain control over the empath again.

In the eighteenth stage, the empath tries to leave the relationship but the narcissist convinces them to stay.

In the nineteenth stage, the empath feels trapped and hopeless in the relationship.

In the twentieth stage, the empath tries to seek help from others and realizes that they are not alone.

In the twenty-first stage, the empath finally leaves the toxic relationship and starts to heal.

In the final stage, the empath learns to love themselves and set healthy boundaries for future relationships.

In conclusion, a relationship between an empath and a narcissist can be intense and passionate, but also very destructive. It is important for empaths to recognize the signs of a toxic relationship and seek help if needed to leave and heal. Setting healthy boundaries and learning to love oneself is essential for a healthy and fulfilling relationship.

--

--

The Minds Journal

Your guide to better mental health and relationships. For more details — https://themindsjournal.com/