When we were kids, speaking up usually meant getting hurt, didn’t it? So we learned to stay quiet and let things cool off for a bit.
And that’s why our subconscious mind kicks in and prevents us from confronting narcissistic people. It’s its way to protect us from dealing with them.
However, we find ourselves stuck in this toxic cycle where our stress keeps piling up because incidents involving the narcissistic person keep happening. Then, there’s a period of trying to make things right with them, only for the stress to come back again because the situation has not changed.
This whole push-pull dynamic is really bad for our well-being. Unfortunately, most of us don’t even realize the impact it has on us.
We fail to see how our cortisol levels shoot up, how our immune system gets compromised, and how we’re constantly focused on the narcissist who keeps triggering our fight-or-flight response.
Our brains are constantly wired for stress and survival mode when dealing with a narcissist. So, it’s no surprise that being in a narcissistic relationship can lead to chronic stress.
Let’s talk about stress.
Some stress can be beneficial, you know? It triggers the release of adrenaline, which can help us be more productive and better at problem-solving. But when stress becomes chronic, which means you’re in a state of stress for a long time, it’s unhealthy.
Chronic stress happens when our body is exposed to stressors so frequently or intensely that our autonomic nervous system can’t activate the relaxation response regularly. As a result, our body stays in a constant state of physiological arousal.
This affects every system in our body, either directly or indirectly. Keep in mind that our bodies are designed to deal with short-lived acute stress. But when stress lingers for a long time, it becomes a bigger challenge.
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