My Story - My Truth. The Effects of Growing up with a Narcissistic Father

by Anonymous

Visitor's story:

My Dad was diagnosed as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder when I was about 25 yrs. old but by then, the damage was done. And even when diagnosed and offered help, he never changed. My father was not only narcissistic but mentally and physically abusive.

I remember as a child always being aware of my Father's happiness. As if my job was to make sure that he was happy. He was not only mentally abusive but physically abusive as well.

I don't remember recognizing that my Mother was abused by him until I was about 7 yrs. old when we moved to another state, away from her parents. My Mother never had her needs met. It was all about my Father and when we were born, we were all enlisted to cater to his needs too.

We were all abused. My Mother, me, my brother and 2 sisters. All of my siblings have issues due to our childhood. One turned to drugs, one turned to alcohol and the other has mental disorders. I have ADD, Anxiety and Compounded PTSD. I think that we all have anxiety and PTSD. I truly don't know how any of us survived what we went through!

The mental abuse ranged from words that put us down to the point that we all have low or no self-esteem to being sabotaged at any step in life that made us feel good or happy about an achievement. We were taught, unspoken, to downplay our achievements, to him raging for unknown reasons literally 5 in. from my face with screaming and spitting not daring to turn my head away, to him slapping and punching me in the face breaking my glasses 3 times, to him giving us the silent treatment for months or even up to a year because of him feeling slighted or disrespected for whatever reason, to the point that I watched him so closely that I thought that I needed to study any body language that he had in order to stay safe.

Any look, any movement that might spell anger or rage. I wanted to see it coming. I wanted to be able to diffuse the anger and rage. My entire childhood was walking on eggshells, to put it mildly. There was never, ever, a feeling of being safe.

I had to read a book in college about concentration camps in WW 2 and the assignment was to write about what the book meant to me. I wrote that I wasn't starved and had a roof over my head and clothes on my back but that my father reminded me in many ways of the SS Officers in the camps. I didn't receive their brutal tortures but in mental ways, I believe that I did.

The physical abuse ranged from him beating up my siblings or Mother knowing that my turn would be soon and for stupid little things that could be worked out easily but weren't because no one would dare point out any faults of his so instead, he hit the girls with his hands and fists.

My poor brother got my father's rage the worst. He was usually whipped with a leather belt and once, at about age 12, my father made him put on boxing gloves and my brother was beaten that way. While this would happen, my mother would try to stop it but couldn't and the remaining children would run and hide. Even blocking our ears because it was so traumatic hearing someone that you love being beaten and there was nothing that we could do about it.

I remember the Police being called by my Mother probably 5 or 6 times during my childhood. When they came, my Mother would just ask them to make him stop. Back then in the 70's, that's what would happen. All would quiet down for a while. We were taught to act as if nothing happened. The abuser never saw any consequences so it never stopped. I now know that this was all about total control.

All during this, we didn't have friends over when Dad was home from work. We hid our secrets from everyone. Family, friends, neighbors and, to be truthful, the Police when they were called. My Mother always downplayed what was really happening in the house.

Looking back, I think that people suspected something wrong but they never said a word to us about it. I used to pray for my parents to divorce but it never happened. I wanted and needed to feel safe.

My teenage yrs. were hell. As all teenagers do, they cut-the-cord from their parents a bit. This wasn't exactly welcomed. I've later learned that I was co-dependent. On one hand, I was urged to know what I wanted to be in life but on the other hand, we all were neglected and were never taught how to become anything other than what we were then which was Dad's caretakers.

We had no dreams. We were always in survival mode. He urged us all to leave the house at 18 but also pulled on us or sabotaged us to stay. His abuse was too much for me and so I married at 25, probably to just get out of that house, but married someone just like him.

Being married to a person just like my father, it was all about his needs, his wants, his choices. I was at best, an afterthought.

I fell into a deep depression that I couldn't leave my bed a year or so into the marriage. I saw a therapist because of the depression and learned that my husband was also was a narcissist and my needs would never be met.

I gave it my all in trying to save the marriage. I brought him to therapy with me but he wouldn't change. I thought of living a life like my mother did and couldn't do it. It was my worst fear. I divorced him 2 yrs. later. In the end, it came down to choosing between my sanity or my husband. I chose my sanity. I left that marriage with a clear conscious.

Since then, my life has had no direction. I think of it as whichever way the wind blows, my life goes. It became clear to me that I can't live like this, I'm not functioning, and sought out professional help.

I've been in therapy for 4 yrs. now and we've been working hard on the issues that I have. I've had EMDR done many times to help with my PTSD. I'm not reliving those episodes anymore so it's working and I'm so thankful for that.

There IS a bright side to my story. I have a good therapist that has lived through similar things herself so she "gets it." I'm feeling a lot better about myself which I'm so grateful for. It's been painful and hard work to get me to where I am today but there's still more work to do.

My father died 3 yrs. ago from Alzheimers Disease. He was 77 yrs. old. From working in therapy, I now choose to remember the good in him. There is good in all of us as well as bad.

If I were to give any advice to anyone out there that has a family member that's a narcissist to be sure to be close to family and/or friends. I think it's a necessity to have support around you. Hold narcissists responsible for their bad behavior. Give them consequences.

I've come to believe that the secrets that I've kept are in direct proportion to the harm it has caused me. Now I don't hide my secrets. I tell the truth to myself, my truth. It's helped me to acknowledge what happened, sort it out with the help of my therapist and come to peace with it.

For the first time in my life, I see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Comments for My Story - My Truth. The Effects of Growing up with a Narcissistic Father

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Jul 23, 2023
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narcissism NEW
by: Anonymous

I am doing a study for my psychology bachelors degree and i am also writing a book about narcissists and sociopaths. If anyone wants to talk about and tell a story of their experience feel free to message me on my email rimtek7@gmail.com thanks in advance! And no, i am not a robot or a scam, just a 21 year old girl

Jun 11, 2023
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My father is also a narcissistic
by: priya

I'm facing this issue since my childhood, it's always about his needs and interests and never about anything else, If doesn't gets what he wants, he goes to the extent of playing the victim card before relatives and such people who would believe in him. My father is a manipulative person, he loves torturing me and mother, he has made our lives miserable and I still don't know how to get out of this hell. But I'm not giving up, I have hope that one day my mother and I will be free from his hell, that there will be one day when I won't have to live in fear anymore.

Sep 06, 2022
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Narcissistic Father
by: Robert

I found out I grew up with a Narissist father when I was 45. Was flooded with emotions as I read stories just like yours. Everything made sense and his behavior was now logical. My heart goes out to those who are unaware they are in a relationship with a narcissist. You are constantly trying to find the logic for the strange behavior, kind to some, mean to others and at the time very emotionally confusing. Thank you for sharing.

Jun 04, 2021
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Good for you!
by: Anonymous

I understand your pain. I am so proud of you and happy for you that you are moving forward toward healing! God bless!

Mar 01, 2019
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My daughter is living with a narcissist
by: Anonymous

I would consider my daughter to be classed as vulnerable , she’s a lovely girl with a big heart .
She met a man who she quickly fell into a relationship with , I noticed from the early days that everything was on his terms .
He belittled her & didn’t allow her to have an opinion .
To say they were in a relationship they only saw each other at weekends , she questioned him about this several times .
Soon into the relationship she became pregnant , he showed no emotion what so ever , she sadly miscarried , again no emotion of concern for her . She took it badly & became depressed he couldn’t have cared less.
2 years on into the relationship she became pregnant again , after contracting preeclampsia & becoming very ill she was induced early & gave birth to a healthy son , she was still very unwell after the birth but again no emotion for his new son or my daughter .
They began living together 6 months ago , everything is on his terms , he pays very little attention to the baby , he gets annoyed when she has to feed him , he won’t let her talk to him or put the light on during the night as his sleep is more important than hers , he doesn’t support her financially , he criticises everything she does , she has to do everything he says or he flies into a rage .
She’s told me she hates him but he thinks he’s an amazing catch & a great dad , I know she wants to leave him but she’s scared he will get half custody of their son , this conversation her greatly as she says he doesn’t know him & he totally ignores him , he won’t change nappies or do anything for him .if he needs feeding whilst they are out he lets him scream until they get home as he won’t sit & wait , she’s breastfeeding , he makes her feel worthless at every opportunity , he’s an arrogant , sociopath , big ego , manipulative , controlling individual .
I desperately want to get her away from him but he’s so controlling she’s scared .
I don’t want the baby to be affected by him but I’m afraid the older he gets the worse things will become , the baby doesn’t look at him because he doesn’t know him , he’s clearly irritated by him but speaks of putting him in private school so he’s intelligent like his father ( there is only him that believes this ) he’s one of life’s greatest non achievers messing up university & numerous jobs , he always has to be the best & he considers him self to be a great leader , he’s really not fit to lead anyone .
I need my daughter away from him , she’s half the person she was , she lives in dread of him finishing work every day & weekends where he tells her what they are doing .
How can I safely get my daughter & grandson home .
I’ve advised her to make a diary of everything he does & how he treats her , I believe there are solicitors who take narcissism seriously but I can’t find any in my area .
Has anyone else experienced these problems & what was the out come ? Many thanks

Jun 03, 2017
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on the narcissistic father
by: Anonymous

Extremely helpful

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