The Narcissistic Parent: How It Shapes Your Adult Life

You've grown up, but you're still trying to earn their love. A love that never existed and never will.

A narcissistic parent isn't just someone strict. It's someone who sees you not as a child, but as an extension of themselves. You have to be perfect to validate their greatness. Your successes are their achievements. Your failures are your shame. Your feelings are an inconvenience. Your personality doesn't matter. What matters is how well you reflect them.

This parent might be charismatic. Everyone thinks they're wonderful. But at home, they're cold. Or demanding. Or dismissive. You never know which version you'll get. Today they praise you. Tomorrow they ignore you. The day after, they criticize you. And you live in constant fear—fear of making mistakes, fear of disappointing them.