Is there a person in your environment, who only thinks of their own importance, who tolerates nobody else and is in love with him-/herself? Someone who thinks they are the greatest? Who ruthlessly takes, whatever they want?

A person who is suspicious and jealous of others and lets their anger, hatred and aggression or – even worse – violence out on you? Who degrades others (or you?), uses and belittles you, so that your self-esteem suffers? Who hurts your feelings? And makes you feel guilty and yet, you feel attracted to them?

Narcissists show a vast variety of behaviors. For a long time, they behave in a ‘gentle’ way and tread carefully – they seem interesting, confident and fascinate others. However, when they feel under attack, they become ‘harder’ and more emotional – from being gentle to suffering or loud and harsh. In their relationships, the often come across as being manipulative. In worst case, narcissism leads to stalking and sadism.

In 2012, I first encountered the term “narcissistic abuse” in English-speaking countries and began to intensively explore the dynamics of narcissistic abuse and its effects. The insights gained informed the development of the therapy program EDEN which supports victims in their individual processing and growth processes.