Every marriage has its difficulties. If you and your spouse have disagreements, argue and frustrate one another, you are certainly not alone. But if you feel like your partner always makes everything about him- or herself and tries to put you down, you may suspect that he or she is a narcissist.
Unless your partner receives a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder from a doctor, you may never know for sure if he or she has this mental disorder. But there are plenty of red flags of narcissism that are easy to spot.
Self-obsession
A narcissist loves him- or herself more than anyone else. Narcissistic spouses overly exaggerate their self-importance and prioritize themselves over everyone else. If conversations always go back to your spouse even when you try to talk about yourself or the kids, you may be dealing with a narcissist.
Your wants and needs do not matter
Everyone has wants and needs. Healthy relationships are all about giving and taking. But if you are the one constantly giving while your spouse takes everything, you are probably married to a narcissist. All a narcissist cares about is getting his or her own needs met, even at the expense of others. If your spouse never listens to your desires or dreams, you are probably in an unhappy marriage.
Hyper-sensitivity
Narcissists are always right – or at least that is what they believe. A narcissist will not tolerate your questions or criticisms. If you disagree with a narcissistic spouse, you will deal with a lot of anger. This usually results in emotional abuse.
Lack of empathy
Empathy is a requirement for healthy relationships. Being empathetic is vital to solving problems and improving relationships. But your partner may be totally insensitive to how you and others feel. At the end of the day, a narcissistic partner does not care about hurting you.
