HEALING FROM
Narcissistic Abuse & Antagonistic Relational Stress
Do you feel like you’ve lost yourself in a relationship marked by control, gaslighting, or emotional manipulation?
Narcissistic abuse (NA) recovery isn’t just about moving on from a “toxic relationship.” It’s about healing from a form of betrayal trauma that can leave lasting marks on your nervous system, identity, and sense of reality. Gaslighting, manipulation, love-bombing, devaluation, or control can slowly chip away at your self-trust until you barely recognize yourself.
This lived experience is often described as Antagonistic Relational Stress (ARS)—the ongoing psychological distress that comes from being in a relationship with someone who has an antagonistic personality style, such as narcissistic traits. ARS captures the reality that this isn’t just conflict or occasional mistreatment—it’s a cycle of confusion, invalidation, and emotional harm that wears down your sense of safety and self over time.
This kind of abuse doesn’t only happen in romantic relationships—it can come from parents, family members, friends, or even work environments. And because our culture often minimizes or normalizes manipulative dynamics, survivors can feel isolated, invisible, or falsely convinced they’re the problem.
Common experiences after NA and ARS include:
- Constant self-doubt, second-guessing your reality, or relying on external validation of your own experience
- Decision paralysis and feeling unable to make choices without fear of making the “wrong” move
- Feeling guilty or selfish for having needs
- Walking on eggshells or bracing for criticism
- Confusion about what was real vs. manipulation
- Emotional flashbacks—feeling small, trapped, or worthless
- Difficulty trusting yourself or others
- Shame and self-blame for “allowing it to happen” or “missing the red flags”
- Loss of identity, values, or personal boundaries
- Feeling addicted to the cycle of highs and lows
- Delayed rage that surfaces after the abuse
- Somatic symptoms such as headaches, gut issues, insomnia, chronic tension, or feeling “frozen” in the body
Why Narcissistic & Antagonistic Abuse Hurt So Deeply
Narcissistic and antagonistic abuse target your identity and self worth. Instead of physical wounds, it leaves psychological scars that may be harder to identify, but just as real, and sometimes even more painful.
It often thrives in environments where:
- Early attachment wounds made you more vulnerable to love-bombing or conditional love
- Cultural myths romanticize control, drama, or “suffering for love”
- Systems of power (patriarchy, family roles, workplace hierarchies) normalize silencing, gaslighting, and exploitation
- Your own strengths (empathy, loyalty, sensitivity, peacemaking) were used against you
HOW THERAPY CAN HELP
Recovery is about reclaiming your worth, processing the trauma, and learning to trust your truth.
Healing from NA or ARS is not about “getting over it” or pretending it never happened. It’s about reclaiming the parts of you that were silenced, gaslit, or made to feel small.
At first, healing may look like something simple—trusting your gut again, saying no without guilt, or realizing you don’t have to explain yourself to be valid. Over time, it becomes bigger: rebuilding self-worth, setting boundaries that actually hold, and choosing relationships that honor who you are rather than drain you.
Therapy creates space for this process. Recovery means learning to hear your own voice again, to believe your truth without second-guessing, and to feel grounded in relationships that bring safety instead of fear.
Together, we’ll work to:
- Validate your reality so you no longer feel “crazy” or invisible
- Untangle manipulation patterns and help you spot red flags sooner
- Soothe your nervous system that’s been living on high alert
- Work through trauma responses (freeze, fawn, collapse) stored in your nervous system
- Rebuild self-trust and strengthen your ability to make empowered choices
- Process betrayal trauma and grief for the relationship you hoped for but didn’t receive
- Reclaim your identity, values, and authentic voice
- Learn boundaries that feel protective, not punishing
HOW WE APPROACH NARCISSISTIC ABUSE & ARS RECOVERY
Understanding the cycle is just the beginning of breaking it.
Because NA and ARS impacts the mind, body, and soul, healing requires more than just “talking it out.” At Moongate Therapy and Wellness, we take a trauma-focused, holistic approach that honors the complexity of what you’ve endured.
Part of our work will include psychoeducation on narcissistic and antagonistic abuse tactics, the cycle of abuse, and the ways these patterns impact your nervous system and sense of self—so you can name what happened, make sense of your experience, and release the shame that was never yours to carry.
During our work together, we may use a range of modalities, keeping your therapeutic goals and preferences at the forefront. Depending on your unique needs and experiences, together, we’ll draw on methods such as: