Living In Denial About Narcissistic Abuse
A Cautionary Tale
Written by Randi Fine
Narcissistic Abuse Awareness and Guidance with Randi Fine
It may seem as living in denial about narcissistic abuse, closing off the part of yourself that allows you to face the truth, is the easiest way to deal with the painful trauma of it. Logic may argue that if something is not accepted as reality, it can't hurt you. Or can it?
When used in the short-term, denial is a healthy, adaptive mechanism that gives us time to adjust to distressing situations. Denial is unhealthy and maladaptive when used over long periods of time to avoid responsibility, disregard the truth, deny a reality, or hide from feelings.
Refusing to acknowledge or accept the truth about narcissistic abuse only allows it to perpetuate. Unless the problem is acknowledged, processed, and healed, no amount of denial or positive thinking can banish it from our being. Though it is blocked from our conscious mind, our physiological body continues to "keep score".
This theory is supported in the peer reviewed journal of Jainish Patel and Pritesh Patel entitled Consequences of Repression of Emotion: Physical Health, Mental Health and General Well Being: &q