I’m an empath and know it’s highly likely that you are too. Empaths are a narcissist’s preferred person to target because we fit so well into their agendas.

Empaths struggle to be impervious to narcissists and this is why I wanted to share with you this article – the 5 Ways To Keep Safe From Narcissists As An Empath.

Empaths are feeling, sensitive people who care and often give of themselves until it hurts. They are very tuned in to people’s needs and traditionally are the “go to” people who can come up with the solutions and hold everything together in troubled times.

I know that it’s very likely that you, just like me, fit into this category!

Today, I want to share with you my journey of once being an empath who was narcissistically abused, to becoming an empath who still cares and gives, but now in healthy ways.

And … most importantly can stay safe.

After narcissistic abuse, I have not had to give up being empathetic, and neither do you.

Together let’s look at the beautiful, well-earned transformations – these 5 ways that as an empath you too can be safe from narcissists.

 

Number One – Check In With Yourself Instead Of Another

Empaths are very skilled at reading other people’s moods. I believe this was because as young people this is how we learned to keep safe.

Maybe you had a parent who was unpredictable, or unwell, or unavailable, or narcissistic, and in order to try to get love, approval and security you tried to “read” how this parent was so that you knew how to “be” to try to have your needs met.

Growing up this way causes you to lose touch with yourself. You are trying to “be” what the other person wants, so that you can feel whole, safe, and loved, rather than knowing how to “be” these things and make the choices and boundaries that can generate that for yourself.

In adult relationships all of this continues. Narcissistic people don’t want you being in touch with your inner guidance and truths. Because then you are not continually focused on and granting narcissistic supply (energy) to the narcissist, trying to get love and approval whilst they empty you out of your Soul energy and anything else they want to take from you.

When we are not anchored in our own body, navigating life from there creates an experience where you will feel victimised by other people and powerless in trying to change them into being healthy. This is how “life from the outside in” goes, rather than the empowered and successful way of “life from the inside out”.

The questions to ask yourself to start understanding how to reverse this are:

“What values and truths do I want in my life?”

“What can I do right now to look after myself?”

“How can I develop myself to be the person who can generate my values and truths?”

“What and who am I choosing in my life? Are these situations and people my truth?”

“How can I be safe, whole, and effective at creating a great life, regardless of what a specific other is choosing to be and do?”

 

Number Two – Speak The Truth Instead Of What You Think Others Want To Hear

I know this is terrifying initially (until you master it!), yet this is the difference between living your authentic life or not. It is also a massive determinant as to whether or not you will get caught up with narcissistic people.

Narcissists are a False Self. They lie, pretend, manipulate and are completely disingenuous.

This next part is so important for you to hear – narcissists can only connect with us if we are not showing up truthfully, as ourselves, connected to and expressing what is true for us.

Empaths don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. Or so they think. I used to feel horrible about hurting people’s feeling and saying something that may trigger them. Yet, when I deeply healed this fear, I discovered a much more “personal” fear.

In our wonderful community, when others have also become very real and honest, they too discovered the fears of CRAP (criticism, rejection, abandonment, and punishment) for speaking out. This really translates as … don’t confront because it causes far too many issues.

We did not want to risk being “ourselves”.

Virtually everyone had alarm bells with the narcissist. There were “off” things they did or said, or other people warned us about them. There was “smoke” which would have led to a bigger “fire” but we didn’t want to rock the boat, speak up, ask for clarification or confront our uncomfortable feelings by taking a stand for the truth.

Then, by the time we were hooked in, and we tried to speak up, we experienced the wrath of a narcissist CRAPing all over us. (Criticising, rejecting abandoning and punishing).

Narcissists train people to comply – because if their narrative is challenged or someone tries to hold them to account, they retaliate. Empaths stay attached, trying to lecture and prescribe and fix things, repeatedly explaining basic human fundaments to a narcissist that a five-year-old would understand, rather than stating and standing in their own truth.

In my recovery from narcissistic abuse, I determinedly healed my fears of CRAP with NARP, because I knew, moving forward, that the price of not speaking up when something felt off was too great to pay.

I love this example (that I share often) about a date with a man who spoke badly about work colleagues – it felt off to me. When he asked me how our date was going, I answered honestly and politely how I found his comments disrespectful to others. He exploded into a narcissistic rage.

I was so happy, because I recognised this was an “outed narcissist” … in my past I would have just ignored the off feeling, made excuses and gone along with him.

I promise you that when you overcome the fears of CRAP and start showing up honestly, you will be overjoyed as well with these types of graduations. By shining a bright light (authentically with courage) on a narcissist, like a vampire they will shriek and scream. Now you KNOW what this person is, and you know to detach and not to proceed any further.

The garbage just took itself out.

 

Number Three – Love Yourself More Than Another

You may believe that this is counterintuitive or even hubris or narcissism – whereas it is anything but.

I know it’s not a popular view but let me explain – empaths have the martyrish belief that “love conquers all” and “I am meant to suffer to help this person” and so on and so forth.

I now recognise in narcissistic abuse that I was choosing him instead of choosing myself. To try and not lose him, I completely and utterly lost myself. It wasn’t until I chose me that I chose my True Life and was able to fulfil my journey, truth, and true mission on this planet.

After choosing me and dedicating to loving and healing myself back to wholeness, I stopped holding him, the messenger of my deepest unhealed wounds, responsible for them.

It was then that I finally “came home” and started aligning with Source, my Soul and my true values and self-love. Then I finally “got” that trying to change someone so that they can grant you yourself – love, approval, security and survival, is not true love. It is control.

Only I can grant myself love, approval, security, and survival, and then from that place make healthy choices as to who has the desire and resources to join me in healthy authentic relationships and let go of those who didn’t.

If someone isn’t choosing to join me at my level of truth, they are NOT my truth, and I (and them) are much better off without each other. We are not a match.

Now, being in a true Soul Mate relationship, I love that my partner chooses himself before me. There is no way I could be disingenuous and have him stay with me. Likewise, he knows I choose myself before him. This generates respect and truth and love. How could we love each other if we didn’t have self-love first?

In relation to narcissistic relationships, you will never accept a level of love less than the level of love that you have for yourself. If you are choosing you, and healing yourself back to wholeness, it’s unlikely that you could remain in a narcissistic relationship.

 

Number Four – Ask For What You Want And Accept Support

Empaths like to give but don’t like to receive. Empaths don’t want to risk reaching out to others for help in case they may suffer rejection.

Human interaction through giving and receiving creates bonds of love, devotion, loyalty and affection.

Givers experience oxytocin when giving. It bonds them to people. If you are the one giving all the time and don’t ask for support and can’t accept it, it’s no wonder you feel taken advantage of and not granted enough attention and love. This is because you are not allowing the other person to lean into you and bond with you.

Empaths can feel a range of uncomfortable feelings when they know they need to develop their receiving spiritual muscles – including feelings of unworthiness and guilt.

Often the difficulty in receiving is also about the fear of being indebted or controlled by others.

I discovered after working with NARP and healing this part of myself, that it was so beautiful to be able to give, but also to show up asking for what I wanted – without justifying and explaining, but just to feel worthy enough to ask.

Please know this, by knowing you deserve and asking for what you want, you will flush out a narcissist effortlessly! Narcissists are in relationships for what they can take, not give. Even altruistic narcissists who give monstrously to enmesh with people and demonstrate huge acts of giving, do not like to be “controlled” by you asking for anything or help. It has to be their idea, not yours.

With any narcissist if you ask for a task to be done or for their help, they will before long, put it off, mess it up or get angry with you for asking.

You being in healthy flowing worthiness will expose this quickly, truly. It will also, with people in general, create deeper bonding, train others to know your worth and stop your painful feelings of being unimportant, and taken advantage of.

 

Number Five – Shine Your Light Brightly

Empaths like to play small and not take up space. They praise and back other people constantly, also try to hide their light under a bushel because they fear that bad people will try to steal their light or even attack it.

I touched on a truth before that Thrivers powerfully know, it’s all part of the vampire metaphor, which screams and retreats into the shadows when a bright light is shone on it.

If we come out as ourselves, without fear and connected to our Inner Truth, showing up fearlessly, speaking up and backing ourselves, and no longer wanting to play with people who are not healthy enough for us to connect with – narcissists steer a wide berth away from us.

Why?

Because they are NOT after your light, they are after whatever it is that they can take from you by deceiving you (they operate in the shadows) – things like sex, attention, money, resources, a roof over their head, your contacts, the image you help them present and so much more.

If you are in your Light, they know they can’t deceive you, trigger you, derail you, control you and use you up for their own inner black hole empty filling agendas.

Narcissists are terrified of your light.

They know you will not look for yourself from a False Source, and that you have a “filled” Inner Being that cannot be tricked into handing away your right, values, and truths.

Like a predator in the wild, narcissists target the “injured gazelle at the edge of the pack”. The narcissist acts interested, identifies the hurts/wounds someone is carrying and then makes out that they are the “saviour” of this unhealed trauma, or what is missing in this person’s life.

That’s how they hook their prey. Telling you how they are the lover who would never cheat on you; the loyal friend who will always have your back; the business partner who can get you masses of the right contracts.

If you are in your Light, you will be self-partnered, healing your hurts directly with Source, and then nothing is missing. There is no “gap” to fill. You are already filling them up yourself with Source. With Quanta Freedom Healing (NARP) the wound is filled with Light every time you do a healing. You are eliminating your inner shadows (unhealed places) where a narcissist could previously slither into.

Does this make sense? Do you now understand how your real job in life is to be authentically the Light that you really are without your inner traumas?

 

In Conclusion

Thriving is about coming home to our True Self Light – and as I say repeatedly in my YouTube videos there is nothing else to do!

Not only does it keep you safe from narcissists, but it also empowers you to do what every empath wants to do more than anything – serve the world in amazing and effective ways without any fear of being targeted and taken out.

I adore helping previously victimised empaths become empowered ones. It’s my greatest joy!

If you are ready for this spectacular graduation, then my highest suggestion to you is to join me and the incredible NARP Community by becoming a global NARP Member.

NARP is the complete program to help you heal and then Thrive after narcissistic abuse – regardless of who your narcissistic abuse experience was with, or the details of what occurred, or is still happening.

You can become a NARP member today.

As always, I look forward to reading and replying to your comments and questions.

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Commments (35) + Leave a comments

35 thoughts on “5 Ways To Keep Safe From Narcissists As An Empath

  1. Dear Melanie!
    Today my heart is once again full of gratitude! 💓 for over four years now I’ve been listening to you.. i’ve learned so much! Among the many valuable lessons shown to us in NARP, I’ve discovered my inner child! 😌 And he now has a name!. His name is little Peter! And he is becoming more and more an important part of my life! That is/has been so very special! 🌻
    Together little Peter and me 👨‍👦 are so thankful to continue to have the incredible privilege to be here each time you post something new about recovery from narcissistic abuse! Including today! 🙌
    This article today is once again resonating deeply for us! 💞
    (However I still have ongoing fears about abandonment and rejection so it is often difficult for me, 😔 even with lil’ P’s encouragement, to sometimes reach out for help!) But, you, and others in NARP make that much easier… and you guys are always there! thank you so much! 💞
    So, today, I simply want to thank you again for always giving me and lil’ P encouragement which gives us hope and confidence…This has been at times a very lonely journey but I know we are not alone….😌
    You’ve been there too and you’ve made it out and that is inspirational…🙏 We are so thankful to be here in NARP and sooo love hearing tidbits of your amazing story! We will get there! ❤️🦋❤️ Much love!💞 Thank you Melanie! 💞

    1. I love Peter that you and lil Peter are together!

      You are always welcome, and thank you again for your comment as well as for giving men permission to be real and vulnerable enough to heal.

      Bless!

      Mel 🙏💞🦋

  2. Hi Melanie,

    This topic is so timely for me, and I thank you for addressing it. I’m a member of NARP but very new (only a month or so in). I’m very much an empath, and I consider it both a blessing and a curse.

    I need help in two areas related to my deep empathy. I believe both may be blocking my healing progress

    The first is how I view my abuser. I don’t believe he truly has NPD. Multiple addictions–YES. He has used many of the horrible narcissist tactics that all but destroyed me.
    He will do ANYTHING to protect his secret life and not be exposed.

    I also believe he is a victim of narc abuse himself. His mom says his father is a narcissist, and I’m certain his ex-girlfriend from many years ago also is.

    So this is my problem: I feel his pain as a victim himself. I don’t see him as a narcissist, even though he hurt and abused me deeply. I think it’s his addictions at the root of his abuse, not a terrible personality disorder. I DO believe there’s a good guy in there somewhere. I feel sorry for him and his pain and can’t seem to disconnect.

    I do know that I am MASSIVELY codependent. I have been since even before birth, starting with my covert narc mother. She hated my older sister for crying too much as an infant (she had colic). She told my grandma she had me to have a “good baby.” I was literally brought into this world to be a “fixer” of someone else’s problems. That led to a string of toxic, codependent relationships in my adult life.

    Secondly, there’s the issue of my sweet dog, Jake. He was our “child” (we have no human children). My abuser loves him deeply, but he was my dog before the relationship. Jake stayed with me when I told my abuser to leave.

    I have let him take Jake on two weekends, and afterward, I go into an emotional tailspin from seeing him. But it hurts me to know he’s hurting from losing Jake.

    His past experience with his narcissistic ex weighs heavily on me with regard to Jake. She manipulated and destroyed him by taking away his daughter when she was very young, and she doesn’t know he exists. She is 17 now and thinks her mother’s boyfriend is her bio dad. I feel as though I’m doing the same by taking Jake away from him.

    Both of these issues are a byproduct of my deep, almost paralyzing empathy. I shift them out in my healings, but they never truly get resolved. I still “feel sorry” for the addictions that own him, and still want to help soothe his own internal wounds.

    How do I overcome this block? What module do I use, and what intentions do I set? I want to move forward in my healing so badly, but these blocks are really discouraging me.

    Thank you for NARP and all you do, Melanie. I can say with all certainty that you saved my life. You truly are an angel right here in Earth.

    With love, light and all my gratitude,
    Kris

    1. Ah kris, your ex is most definitely a narc. Stay with the program, it will become clearer to you. Took me ages to see my ex in the same way, until the scales slowly fell from eyes, recently Mel did an article on future faking. It was like our biography. She had him in a nutshell. Narcs can have all or some of these traits (or there just hasn’t been a situation yet to show you) and yes they all have the sob story, and can have been abused by narcs themselves. Taking your dog on weekends, proper narc move. That’s a way to keep you on the hook. Stay with the program. You’ll see it all in time along with a beautiful way to free and heal xxx

    2. Hi Kris,

      thank you for your very honest share. As you work through NARP, especially Module 6 work, you will reverse all these ways you have been taking responsibility for others, whilst forgoing responsibility to yourself.

      The best way that we can help you is for you to come into the NARP Member’s Forum http://www.melanietoniaevans.com/member where the training, support and assistance for NARP work takes place.

      If you have any problem connecting to the Forum then please contact one of my lovely support team at [email protected]

      Please know how welcome you are, and for your lovely comment! It’s great that you have reached out, and the NARP Forum will be invaluable for you!

      Mel 🙏💞🦋

  3. I really do think that this type of information should be delivered to the masses. There are so many of us empaths out there. It took a long time for me to acknowledge that I may be an empath. I look at it as a scale and I fall somewhere in the middle (I think). I do pick up others emotions etc, but I am often able to shake it off and go about my day. But I do want to help everyone and I do fear offending other people. I hate to see someone else in pain. I often times agree out of obligation because I do not want to go through the conflicts.
    But living this way is not feasible, because eventually I will get angry if others are taking advantage of me. And believe me, these narcissists were having a feast on my soul over the last few years. And I eventually felt used and exploited and very angry. I became kind of short with others as a way to get them away from me. As I am healing and taking my power back, my rage is lessening. However, what I have noticed is almost a kind of complete halt in my life. Since I am attracting less narcissists, there is no one there but myself. It feels like I am on my own. I use to have more of a social life with “fake friends”. But now that I am starting to have higher standards, these fake friends are falling away. I just wonder when do the healthier people start showing up? I guess I am ok where I am now, with my healing, but I do feel outside pressure that I should be getting on with it. I do whole heartedly believe that if I continue on this journey, then all the things I ever wanted will show up.Right now I am just having faith and healing. My most important mission right now is just healing. Maybe this is a time of fallow.

    1. Molly, imagine your in an elevator with a bunch of folk. As it goes up it stops at various floors, doors open and they all start leaving till it’s just you going up alone. Keep the faith, eventually, the doors will open, and a whole new crowd will get in and ride upwards with you ❤️

      1. Thank you for the kind words. That is a good analogy I think. It really does feel like all these people are getting off the elevator with me. I think the difference in how I feel, now that I am healing, is that I kind of feel relieved that some of them are going. But of course I am a social being and do look forward to deeper more authentic relationships. I’m still in the thick of my healing (and giving myself time to heal) and looking forward to the new crowd 🙂

    2. Hi Molly,

      the true people do show up – keep going!

      They start showing up when you have released the pain of them “not being there” and when you can start expanding out into life with your healthy boundaries and open heart.

      Until then, this period of “aloneness” is perfectly designed to create the most important relationship, as your foundation of all relationships, the one with your Inner Being and True Source – which is what NARP http://www.melanietoniaevans.com/narp creates.

      You are doing a great job, and on your way. Well done for letting go of that and who which is not your True Self and clearing the space for who and what is.

      Much love to you

      Mel 🙏💞🦋

  4. Thank you, Melanie. I am healing, slowly, but surely, thanks in large part to your communications to this community, and also because of a trusted healing professional with whom I can meet, face to face. I believe I have introduced him to your work, through my personal praises of your work, and how beneficial you have been to me. I believe I am still a member of NARP, and I must figure out where to dive in to the material, once again. Hey, thanks!

  5. Thankyou for this message today!
    I am a empath and married to a narcissist! Not a good mix. I’m really struggling with decisions to move on because my husband was diagnosed with cancer and started treatment a month ago. He has verbally and physically attacked me twice since his decision to start treatment. I left because I am starting to fear for my life.
    You have made it very clear that narcissistic people can be dangerous. I really need to make a decision and get on with my life.
    Thankyou for your wisdom and caring.

    1. Big hugs Debbie,

      these kinds of decisions are very tough.

      Your greatest mission is to honour the truth of your own soul.

      He has shown you the truth. Gove yourself permission to honour you.

      Mel 🙏💞🦋

  6. Dear friends
    Interesting comments.
    In my opinion,heathy empathy is a very respected trait to have.
    When empathy is not contained( giving too easily ,without restraint…., bordering Toxic!!) …this is NOT a balance to a good relationship

    Narcissist can ( covert ones) hit on anyone going through an emotional time and be very convincing . Underneath these tatics is just self,self, not giving a hoot about the person suffering . Generally the victim is not aware of this and not knowing their background, can be convinced of their authenticity.
    I do not believe these victims are ” just” empaths .During this time of being Conned it is understandable how any decent person can sucume to such ” evel” intent,whilst going through immense trauma.
    One has to watch their heart,” guard it completely,but still be a successful Empathic person.🙏 Balanced
    Would be interested to hear any ones comments to the above🤔..?
    God’s speed to you all in your various struggle xx

    1. Fay,
      I think anyone can be conned by a narcissist. However, I really do think an empath would be more likely than anyone else. Empaths by nature want to give, and narcissists want to take. Perfect match in the narcissist’s eyes. I think that people who have firmer boundaries are more likely to cut ties much sooner with a narcissist once they start to see the one-sidedness of the relationship. Empaths will just keep trying to fix it and won’t leave until much much later. I do agree anyone can be duped by a narcissist but from my experience it is typically the empaths or traumatized people who find the relationship familiar and don’t leave until the damage has already been done. And I like to believe that some people are so almost impervious to narcissist if they have done the work and have a really firm sense of self.

  7. Thank you Melanie for posting this today.
    It is almost as though you knew we might be struggling today.
    I am over 6 months into NARP and I most definitely feel much more whole than I have ever been. However I still have moments of self doubt and your message definitely helped me to focus on letting that go.

  8. This is insightful. I am an empath married to a covert narcissist for 17 years until i file for divorce a moth ago. This journey has not been easy. It has been stressful on me and our children. I am aware the divorce proceedings won’t be easy but am getting myself mentally prepared for it. Thank you.

    1. Seyram, I share a similarity – married to a covert narcissist for 17 1/2 yrs. before filing for divorce 10 months ago. I also have a teen child. May I share this because I learned a great deal: Don’t go to mediation, go straight to court, and file a motion for support, file a motion to have them turn of financials if he is dragging out discovery, GO NO CONTACT and if you must communicate only do so through your attorney (best) or w/ email (no texts, block him.) Expect he will use your children in some way or make false accusations. Remember, everything you put in writing can be a trial exhibit, don’t SIGN ANYTHING during this process unless your attorney asks you to and you go over it together. Freeze retirement accounts, and ask for attorney fees and sanctions during court process. If you settle before trial – great – you probably will. But mediation doesn’t work with really narcissistic people and gives them time to abuse you and leave you in a bad spot. I hope this helps. Good luck to you!!!

  9. I was born to a narcissistic mother and struggled 60 years trying to figure out what was “wrong” with me. And I have been reading Mel’s articles for over a year now. This article is by far the best, most clearly descriptive and defining of my existence! I have joined NARP. Worked through the modules. But sadly haven’t committed myself deeply enough to the NARP community. It was necessary for me to protect myself, my soul. The lack of self drilled into me. This “being” myself is very difficult because I hid myself from myself also for a very long time! As I said, this article is one your very best! Very telling and most instructive. Thank you.

  10. This is the most accurate, truest way I could identify with my relationships and myself. It’s amazing to actually see it put into such a precise, exact explanation that it gave me chills. Thank you for helping people move forward from this awful traumatizing existence into true self love and soul freedom.it is truly empowering to the self! Much love to all of you struggling and healing from these experiences! We can do this with the help of people like Melanie, no doubt! 🦋♥️

  11. Hi to all of you!
    Thank you guys so much for all of your heartfelt sharing! I am so grateful to be able to be here and have this opportunity….
    Much love and many blessings to all of you on your journey forward! Thank you so much! 💕

  12. “never accept a level of love less than the level of love that you have for yourself” Before NARP, I thought that these words meant being self-centered, which was a negative to me. Now, I understand how deeply true this statement is. I come from an abusive, narcissistic family. One day I left, in order to save my soul. I was young and had nothing but my clothes and books. When I left, I found a world of people that treated me with respect and kindness. I never understood that strangers could treat me with more love and respect than my own family. To this day, it still amazes me. And at this much later stage of my life, I am finally learning through NARP about boundaries. I can now set my boundaries firmly but kindly, and people who try to take advantage of me are not any longer. This is so empowering. I think that maybe learning to truly love yourself can take a lifetime, but it is never too late.

  13. Isadora
    Loved what you wrote …so true. Learning to Love yourself is so empowering❤️

    What a worth while journey,finding out one IS enough😘😘……and just keep growing,and growing .

    It is a life long journey,BUT worth the investment…… God is good!. He made us and expects us to Love ourselves .He made us in His imagine and does not want us to be anything Less than great 🌹🌹🙏

  14. Hello, yes I’m so dealing with A narcissistic person which is my husband for sometime when I was about to leave he grabbed me found me caress me gifts and cried, saying how he wrong and miss me 🤷🏾‍♂️what I thought he love me , he forgot all the wrong he he did to me 😣it was breathtaking in a bad 😢way , when he left me and I let come husband back , he forget all the wrong he did to me . My husband came across a message someone left me 5 years ago this when he left me , I never had no personal dealings or affair with this friend but no matter how I say or prove that it wasn’t no relationship on my part never did anything with the friend never went to dinner never went out meeting him nothing he still acting mean to me , husband still acting hurt saying bad things to me . with all the things my husband put me through narcissistic . No dealings with that person he accusing me of !! and he tried to punish me with that message and messages that I had no control over , no more ! I had enough! I’m not taken going to get Miss Bridget back when she deserves happiness

  15. Dear Mel,
    I love reading your blogs and have done NARP, yet nothing you wrote before touched me like this article. And you released it on my birthday 🙂 Thank you 💖

  16. Dear Melanie:
    Dear Melanie I am Mohammad Javad Dehghani, a former judge and basic lawyer of a judiciary in Iran. Your blog and articles are a bright light and guiding light for the victims of narcissism to save and heal from the toxic relationships that plague people today. Thank you very much and God bless you. Mohammad Javad Dehghani

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