When you divorce a narcissist, you need a knowledgeable attorney
If you’re facing a divorce with a spouse who’s been abusive due to their personality disorder, it’s crucial to have the right support. Engaging a lawyer familiar with narcissistic abuse can make a significant difference.
Leigh Daniel has assisted many clients through their divorces with narcissistic spouses. As a certified narcissistic abuse specialist, she understands the complexities of such cases and recognizes that divorcing someone with these characteristics often leads to intense confrontations. More importantly, she knows how to prevent potential conflicts and ensure you get the protection and therapeutic support you require.
For a personalized divorce consultation, reach out at (256) 551-0500. Leigh Daniel, Attorney at Law is here to assist you.
Are you experiencing narcissistic abuse?
Are you a victim of narcissistic abuse? Many perceive narcissists as individuals with excessive self-love. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) defines narcissistic personality disorder as exhibiting extreme, persistent, and unwavering patterns of narcissism, which includes:
- Pompous and arrogant demeanor
- Expectations of superior treatment from others
- Fixations on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness
- A belief that they are unique, superior, and associated with high-status people and institutions
- A need for constant admiration from others
- A sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others
- The exploitation of others to achieve personal gain
- An unwillingness to empathize with others’ feelings, wishes, or needs
- Intense jealousy of others and the belief that others are equally jealous of them
You may see in the list of traits above how they shift from the individual’s feelings to their demands on others – obedience, exploitation of others, lack of empathy, and jealousy.
In cases of narcissistic abuse, abusers only care about themselves. The abusive spouse may use words and actions to manipulate their partner’s behavior and emotional state so that it elevates the abuser.
The narcissistic abuser may blame and belittle you for supposedly holding them back. They may try to make you question your own ideas and thoughts. This kind of psychological manipulation, in which the abuser attempts to sow doubt and confusion, is sometimes called gaslighting.
Part of the narcissistic abuse cycle is that the abuser builds their victim up and then tears them down. This also sows doubt – feelings that the abuser is not always mean and abusive, or that maybe you did something that made them want to hurt you. This is calculated behavior on the abuser’s part, meant to keep you on the edge and subservient.
At the third stage of the narcissistic abuse cycle, your abuser rejects you completely.
Making the move to get away from an abusive narcissist through separation and divorce can be challenging. In most cases, it is undoubtedly the right thing to do.
Signs of narcissistic abuse
If you are being abused by a narcissist, you may be experiencing any combination of the following:
- Controlling behavior, including telling you what to wear, how you can or cannot spend money, where you can or cannot go
- Social isolation, or keeping you away from friends and family
- Invasions of privacy, such as demanding to know where you’ve been and with whom, looking at your social media and email
- Threats, against you or the people and things you love, including your pets. Sometimes an abuser will threaten self-harm as a way to control you.
If you suggest separation and divorce to an abusive narcissist, you should expect them to:
- Act hurt or even depressed that you don’t consider them the ideal mate
- Become angry because you’re not giving them the special treatment they deserve
- Belittle you to make them feel superior
- Have difficulty regulating their behavior and emotions and thereby damage other relationships
Recovering from an abusive relationship
Being in any abusive relationship can leave you struggling with low self-esteem, anxiety, and PTSD-like symptoms. Getting away from your abuser and seeing the light ahead of a life without them may be enough to leave relieve these feelings. But if you do not feel a difference in several weeks or a couple of months after separating from an abusive spouse, you could probably benefit from professional support.
Anyone is affected by an illness that surrounds them. A therapist can help you understand what you have been through and the feelings it has generated and teach you how to move forward with your life.
Leigh Daniel understands what you have been through. She is not a therapist, but she has training in narcissistic abuse syndrome and can offer you the emotional support you need during this challenging time. If you need professional support, including emergency assistance, Leigh’s firm can make referrals for you.
As your attorney, Leigh Daniel knows how narcissists operate and the tactics they employ to try to gain the upper hand during divorce negotiations. Leigh knows how to handle narcissists and will be ready to guide you away from your spouse’s manipulation to ensure that the terms of your divorce meet your objectives.
Contact our certified narcissistic abuse specialist
Alabama family law attorney Leigh Daniel can help you seek a divorce from an abusive narcissistic spouse. She has decades of experience with Alabama divorce law, training as a narcissistic abuse specialist, and a natural affinity for positive life changes.
Call Leigh Daniel today to schedule a confidential consultation. Our family law firm prides itself on always staying focused on our client’s best interests. After meeting with us, we want you to walk out feeling hopeful and empowered about your situation. Contact us now!
