The term “narcissist” refers to any person who has an inflated sense of self-importance and requires constant attention and admiration from others. They believe they’re entitled to special treatment and seek status and power in any way they can get them.

You might not understand that you’re with a narcissist, making it even more difficult to understand why it is so hard to walk away from a narcissist. An individual with narcissistic personality disorder typically exhibits at least five of the following symptoms: 

1. Has a Grandiose Sense of Self-Importance

A narcissist will consider themselves of more importance than others and their needs more important than anyone else’s. They’ll believe that they deserve to be on the ‘special’ list rather than the ‘everyday list. It affects their friendships and relationships, as they will only be interested in people they know will help them achieve their goals.

2. Has an Immoderate Desire for Adoration

A narcissist requires constant attention, approval, acclaim, and admiration from other people in their life. They have a sense of entitlement and require other people to behave in ways that benefit them, even if their actions interfere with the rights and needs of others.

3. Is Envious or Resentful of Others 

A narcissist is often envious of other people because they believe others are envious of them. They believe that other people always want what they have and will try to take it away from them.

If you’re wondering why it is so hard to walk away from a narcissist, the simple answer is that you might be looking for validation from them. It can be a destructive pattern that’s hard to break. 

4. Has a Tendency to Belittle or Look Down on Others

A narcissist tends to look at others as if they’re inferior and not worthy of their attention. They may see others as competition and try to take them down a notch because a narcissist tends to have a very high opinion of themselves. Anything that lowers their sense of self-importance is threatening.

5. Has Impaired Ability to Recognize or Identify Others’ Feelings

A narcissist’s sense of empathy is impaired. They don’t see other people as humans who have feelings and needs like them, meaning, they don’t care about those feelings or needs.

6. Appears to be Envying Someone Else

A narcissist may attempt to make another person feel inferior to raise their own value in comparison. For example, a narcissist may make a snide remark about another person’s job to make them feel less valuable.

7. Requires Excessive Amounts of Admiration

Narcissists need constant admiration; otherwise, they will start looking for it somewhere else because their sense of self-importance is so overblown that they think nothing should be too much trouble if it enhances their reputation.

8. Shows a Significant Lack of Empathy or Care for Others

A narcissist doesn’t care about other people’s feelings and needs because they believe their own needs are more important, so it’s no big deal if someone else is upset. They may even be happy to see someone else suffer as they believe that it makes them look better in comparison.

9. Shows a Pattern of Taking Advantage of Others

A narcissist will see other people as a means to an end rather than as individuals. They may view them as competition or someone they can take advantage of, no matter the cost. 

10. Has Inconsistent Personal Values 

A narcissist’s sense of values and beliefs is highly inconsistent. They may say they’re all about family one day and then drop someone like a hot potato if it’s expedient to do so the next time around.

Narcissists value themselves above anyone else in their life. They tend to devalue others and exploit them for their own gain. To a narcissist, anything that makes them look more important is worth doing at the expense of anyone who gets in their way or conflicts with their plan.

Too many people affected by a narcissist’s behaviors are left wondering what happened. They might wonder why it is so hard to walk away from a narcissist. They likely believed they were living a happy life with someone who cared about them enough to put their needs first, but that wasn’t the case at all.

If you’re searching for deep emotional healing after being involved with a narcissist, you deserve to be treated with respect and supported by your loved ones. It’s time to stop letting your past dictate your future and accept that you’re not the one with an issue.