Your heart knows things your mind can’t explain. However, when you’ve been through narcissistic abuse, your heart isn’t just aching emotionally; it’s taking a real physical hit, too. Dr. Bruce McEwen, a neuroscientist who studied stress and health, found that chronic stress wears down the body, especially the cardiovascular system. When you’re constantly on edge, your body floods with cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this can lead to high blood pressure, heart palpitations, and even a greater risk of heart disease. It’s not just about feeling anxious; your body is in a constant state of emergency, and your heart is paying the price. Studies have shown that emotional abuse can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes, sometimes even more than physical abuse. Your heart wasn’t meant to live in survival mode forever. Healing means giving it a break, because at the end of the day, your heart deserves peace, too.
4. Muscle Tension and Pain
Your body keeps the score, whether you like it or not. Dr. Peter Levine, the founder of Somatic Experiencing, explains that when you go through trauma, your body doesn’t just forget it; it stays stuck in survival mode, muscles tensed like you’re constantly bracing for an attack. That’s why so many survivors of narcissistic abuse struggle with chronic pain in their neck, shoulders, back, or joints. It’s not just stress; it’s your nervous system being overloaded for too long. Your body has been holding on to all that fear, anger, and anxiety, and now it’s screaming for relief. The problem is, you might not even connect the pain to the abuse. If you’ve spent years suppressing your feelings, your body absorbs that tension. It’s like carrying a heavy weight you never put down. Healing starts with acknowledging the connection between your mind and body, whether it’s therapy, yoga, deep breathing, or even something as simple as stretching. Releasing that tension is just as important as cutting out toxic people, because your body deserves peace just as much as your mind does.
5. Substance Abuse Issues
People don’t become addicted to substances; they become addicted to escaping reality. Dr. Anna Lembke, an addiction psychiatrist and author of Dopamine Nation, explains that when life becomes unbearable, people look for ways to cope. Narcissistic abuse leaves you feeling worthless, anxious, and emotionally drained, and for many, substances like alcohol, drugs, or even food become an easy way to numb that pain. It’s not about wanting to party or indulge, but silencing the emotional chaos inside. The brain craves relief, and substances provide a temporary escape from the constant stress, self-doubt, and trauma that narcissistic abuse leaves behind. Substances might dull the pain for a moment, but they don’t heal the wounds; they just bury them deeper. The real healing starts when you address the root cause—the emotional scars left by the abuse. Therapy, self-care, and rebuilding self-worth are the real antidotes.
6. Emotional Dysregulation
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