So, you and your spouse have decided to get a divorce. It is something you’ve both mentioned doing time and again, but now you are actually ready to do it. You think it will be an easy enough thing to get through, despite your spouse’s narcissistic tendencies. Unfortunately, you are likely to find divorcing a narcissist can be a nasty affair, even if your spouse says this is what he or she wants as well.
What is a narcissist? A person with this personality disorder has an inflated sense of self. He or she has a need for attention. The world revolves around his or her wants. A narcissist has a lack of empathy for other individuals, even the ones he or she claims to love. How will a person with this personality type act during the divorce process?
Utilize scare tactics
A narcissist wants to get his or her way and will do anything to make it happen. You may find your spouse does what he or she can to intimidate you. There are several ways he or she may do this:
- Issue verbal assaults
- Give you the silent treatment
- Alienate you from children, friends and family
Such behaviors can be difficult to ignore. Many men and women end up rethinking their decisions to end their marriages because of it.
Have ups and downs
Living with a narcissist is like riding a rollercoaster. There are a lot of ups and downs. This will follow you into divorce. Your spouse may be begging for forgiveness one minute and telling you he or she hates you the next. Your spouse may offer you whatever you want at one point, and then change his or her mind and try to prevent you from getting your fair share of assets. This is likely to cause you to feel anxious and uncertain about the future, which is understandable.
Use the children in a negative way
If you have children, your ex may use them to hurt you. He or she may do this by turning the children on you. There are several ways he or she may accomplish this:
- Pointing out your flaws
- Picking a favorite child
- Always being the fun parent
Along with turning your children against you, your spouse may try to obtain a custody order from a Texas court that grants you little time with the kids out of spite.
Stand your ground
Hard as it may be to do when divorcing a narcissist, you have to stand your ground and fight for what you want. It won’t be easy, but with help, you can walk away from your marriage with a fair and balanced settlement.
