Studies Have Shown The Connection Between Anxiety Disorders And Exposure To Narcissists

There have been many theories associated with anxiety problems but in more recent times, psychologists have begun to see the connection between narcissistic abuse and anxiety. In fact, they are aware of the emotional and physical abuse associated with this type of exposure and how it can affect the health. When these types of problems occur during childhood, the problems can be even more severe and in many cases, the children are led to feel that they are to blame for the problem.

When you think about the true definition of narcissism, it really has to do with how the other person makes you feel as if all of the roles are your fault, regardless of what they may happen to be. Psychologists have now said that disassociating oneself after this type of abuse is normal and they can even lead to other types of anxiety problems.

The Mayo Clinic has a list of anxiety disorders, including the following, which are most common:

– Anxiety associated with a medical condition that could lead to panic attacks.

– Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder associated with fear of public places.

– Numerous panic disorders associated with the fear of having a panic attack

– Generalized anxiety disorder, characterized by feeling overwhelmed about everyday events or activities.

– Separation anxiety disorder, commonly seen in children and associated with separation from others, including parents and those who have similar roles.

– Selective Mutism is common in children who are abused and they may not speak about certain types of situations.

– Social anxiety disorder is a fear of social situations, typically due to the possibility of being embarrassed

– Substance induced anxiety could be panic attacks or anxiety associated with substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms.

– Specific phobias associated with various situations of life

– Other anxiety disorders that are too numerous but are similarly as destructive as those listed above

When a child experiences issues with a narcissistic parent or one who is emotionally abusive, it makes them more likely to be anxious. Those people tend to be good at manipulating and when they are caught in bad behavior, they can work their way out of it and flip the situation quickly.

It results in an unbroken cycle of abuse, especially affecting children who know that things are right but are unsure of how to locate a solution. The majority of the victims of narcissistic behavior are empathetic, compassionate and have a hard time believing that abusers are not good people.

Mohammed Madig of the Memorial University of Newfoundland conducted a study that showed the following: “Verbal abuse can cause significant psychological problems in later years and brain damage, including anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, and dissociation.”

In addition, the following was written by Dr. Douglas Fields in Psychology Today: “When [an] environment is hostile or socially unhealthy, development of the brain is affected, and often it is impaired.

Early childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, or even witnessing domestic violence, have been shown to cause abnormal physical changes in the brain of children, with lasting effects, that predisposes the child to develop psychological disorders.”

If you’re been a victim of childhood abuse, it is important to recognize that you are not to blame. Give yourself time to heal and you may find that you are stronger and able to recover.

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