Narcissistic Abuse
Narcissists are drawn to empaths like moths to the light. They can sense the empath’s creative spark and kindness - a rich form of life energy.
Themselves operating from an inner void, narcissists need to feed off the energy of others to keep their grandiose fantasy running.
They know that empaths incline toward seeing the good in others, and will give them many second chances before calling out their bad behavior. In fact, empaths are likely to blame themselves if the relationship is not working.
The empath assumes they are entering a mutually caring relationship, where each partner has the best intentions for the other at heart. But with a narcissist, they are unwittingly thrust into a game of predator and prey.
The empath becomes a host body and the narcissist becomes a parasite, stealthily stealing life energy to feed themself.
Instead of a synergistic relationship where 1+1=3, the empath enters a zero-sum game. The narcissist’s gain is the empath’s loss. And the narcissist is laser-focused on winning.
Parentification
Parentification is a destructive energy pattern where parents force their child to take a parental role toward themselves. The parents may relate to the child as their confidant or best friend, expecting the child to be their emotional support system. The child is expected to listen patiently to the parent’s struggles and successes, cheer them on, offer comfort and support, and even provide guidance when the parent is facing a difficult situation.
In return, the child may receive some transitory goodwill or feeling of connection. But at some point, the parent’s shame kicks in as they realize their neediness towards their child. To reassert their authority, they will often cut down, sneer at, and scoff at the very child who so lovingly and patiently supported them. The parents will deliberately do something to hurt the child, in order to take them down a peg.
This dynamic can throw the child into a whirlwind of pain and confusion. First being forced to take on an unnatural parental role, and then in return being lashed out at when the parent’s conscience pricks at them. The child will constantly be looking for a patch of solid ground where they can stand firmly, where things make sense. Everything about this dynamic is wrong.