You finally got rid of your narcissistic ex, and are excited to start fresh… but then they start acting out. Why does it feel like they’re trying to ruin your happiness? Narcissists absolutely hate being rejected, and they’ll lash out with jealousy and try to make your life difficult. Here are 11 things that might happen when a narcissist sees you’ve moved on without them, and why they do it.
1. They freak out bigtime.
Sometimes, narcissists have massive rage blowups because they can’t handle being confronted or challenged. When you break up with them and move on with someone else, they could lose their temper because they see you as making them appear less important. They’ll send you angry texts about how you’ve mistreated them. It’s creepy.
2. They go all-in on the love-bombing.
While this sounds weird, it’s possible that the narcissist will start giving you lots of praise and attention. What the hell? They want you to think they want you back, but they don’t want to deal with your rejection. So, they love-bomb you to try regain control of you, such as by sending you flowers, sending you charming texts, or telling you how much they miss you. Ugh.
3. They try to kill your self-esteem.
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Narcissists can’t handle the fact that they no longer have control over you, so they go out of their way to tear you down. Don’t let them! Visit our sister site, Sweetn, for some game-changing tips, tricks, and advice to overcome negative self-talk and past relationship baggage and give your love life a 180. Check them out here.
4. They Whip Out The Victim Card.
Narcissists pretend to be victims so they don’t take responsibility for their actions and behavior. Although you probably left the relationship because they were abusive to you, they won’t see that – they’ll try to gain your sympathy for how hurt they are that the relationship’s over. They’re dealing with a bruised ego ’cause they don’t want to see you happy.
5. Â They Try To Look Happier Than You.
To try to combat how insecure and jealous they feel, the narcissist will try to show off to you about their new relationship as a way to compete with you. So, you’ll scroll through social media and see pics of them with their new partner, looking happy as can be. Don’t be fooled – they’re doing this because they feel rejected and shamed.
6. They Spread Hate About You.
Narcissists are obsessed with being seen as perfect and faultless, so they’ll try to regain that illusion after you’ve moved on from them. They might spread rumors about you to your mutual friends, twisting the story of what happened so they look like the innocent victim. They might tell people that you cheated on them or abused them. So crazy!
7. They Stalk You Online.
To deal with their bruised ego and anger, the narcissist might stalk you or your new partner on social media. This is because of how addicted to controlling you they are. They want to feel that they still have power in your life. They’re also jealous because they’re insecure. The best thing to do is block them RN!
8. They Find Excuses To Text You.
Maybe your narcissistic ex doesn’t text you to try to get you back but to get your attention. They want to ruin your day so you’re not happy. So, they might text you to ask you something silly, like if you’re going to collect the earrings you left at their place or if you’ve got their gate remote in your purse. These are cheap shots to make you think of them and talk to them.
9. They Spread Lies About Your Partner.
A toxic narcissist might resort to malicious behavior involving your new partner to mess with your head. They’re manipulation masters, so they’ll tell you they have evidence that your new partner is bad or cheating on you. They’ll pull out all the stops to rain on your parade and give you a reason to listen to them. SMH.
10. They Behave Like Everything’s Cool.
To play with you, the narcissist will try to appear like they’re totally unaffected by you moving on and being happy. This could make you wonder what in the world is going on, but that’s exactly what they want. So, instead of being angry and malicious, they’ll smile and go quiet. It’s so passive-aggressive, but it’s an attempt at controlling you. To intensify their efforts, they’ll spread boastful stories about how well they’re doing in the hope that mutual friends will report back to you.
11. They Pretend You Don’t Exist.
Another way in which a narcissist reacts when you move on is by acting like you don’t exist. They pretend they don’t even know you or can’t remember your name when you bump into them, just to show you how little they care about you. Again, it’s their way of bringing you down and making you feel like you don’t matter. Whatever!
12. They Pretend You’re Still Together.
This is a creepy type of behavior that could throw you for a loop. Your narcissist ex could very well continue texting you as though you’re still dating. They’ll text you “good morning” messages like they used to when you were together or tell you that they’re thinking of you. It’s so weird! They can’t deal with the idea that someone wouldn’t want to be with them. Ugh.
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