The affects stress can have on our physical health
When we are functioning under high amounts of stress, our bodies often respond with negative physical symptoms.
The stress weakens our immune system thus making us more susceptible to all sorts of illnesses.
And it can make our bodies weaker to defend ourselves against any current health conditions we may already have,
such as asthma or type 2 diabetes.
Stress also causes accelerated heart rate, which can contribute to poor heart health.
Being in an abusive narcissistic relationship long term can lead us to stop taking care of our physical health.
We are often left in a weakened state of confidence from the constant psychological abuse.
The constant stress can develop into symptoms such as…
viruses, headaches, fatigue, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, dizziness or vertigo and stomach pains.
Stress can also affect our sleeping patterns which in turn damages our physical health further due to lack of sleep.
Our memory is also affected by stress causing ‘brain fog’,
which can lead us to forget taking our medication that fights against any current physical illnesses.
The chronic stresses from the relationship can also lead to depression.
Depression can affect our focus on eating a healthy diet or having an active lifestyle.
This can lead us to over eating and being overweight.
Our appetite can increase due to the rise in cortisol within our bodies,
which is caused by the fight or flight response our body has been accustomed to.
Or it can make us lose our appetite thus not eating enough and being underweight.
Being either overweight or underweight both come with other deteriorating effects of the mind and body.
Lethargy, irritability, muscle tension, insomnia, difficulty concentrating and excessive worrying can all result from stress.
The muscles in our upper body naturally tense up during times of stress and anxiety.
And if we hold tension in our face or head, this can lead to severe head-aches.
Purposely sabotaging your physical health or appearance
In many cases the narcissist does not want us to be strong and healthy versions of ourselves.
And most will purposely sabotage your physical health or appearance so they can feel superiority over you as their victim.
Even though it may have been your physical appearance that attracted the narcissist to you in the beginning,
this can be the very same thing that the narcissist seeks to destroy later in the relationship due to their deep insecurities.
They can get jealous of the attention they feel that you gain from your physical appearance.
I remember the time I told my ex-narc that I was doing intermittent fastening and was proud because I felt I had lost weight.
He knew I never liked buying unhealthy sweets as I had a weakness with junk food and I didn’t want them in the house to tempt me.
And so, he would come home every night with ice creams and biscuits just to tempt me into sabotaging my weight loss goal.
And when I began to gain weight he would passively point this fact out to me constantly.
Often, narcissists will unfairly influence you into sabotaging your health,
just so they have something else to passively break down more of your confidence with.
The narcissist will often use the deterioration of the victim’s health against them to taunt and crush the victim’s confidence,
and make them feel that this is the cause of their unworthiness or unattractiveness.
They want the victim to feel that they have a defect or an unlikable flaw.
And to blame themselves for this flaw so the victim will feel inferior to the narcissist.
Participating in physical exercise can help you get back a sense of personal inner strength and confidence.
Consider lifting weights or doing cardio to release excess tension caused by the narcissist.
Strengthening your body can also boost your energy levels and encourage positive thinking.
Even taking a walk, through nature can greatly benefit your peace of mind.
And help you relax, releasing some of the negative effects of stress and fatigue.
