Confinement at home, economic hardship, and disrupted social systems during the pandemic have created pressure-cooker conditions for domestic violence. Already at high risk for abuse, partners and family members of people with pathological narcissism or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) face heightened vulnerability.

A recent American Psychiatric Association poll about coronavirus found a majority of Americans (59%) are experiencing serious daily impacts and a third of Americans (36%) are experiencing serious mental health effects. Cities around the world are reporting spikes in domestic violence. And last week, April 6, United Nations chief António Guterres decried the “horrifying global surge in domestic violence" and called on governments around the world "to put women’s [and children's] safety first as they respond to the pandemic."

Defined by emotional volatility, a lack of empathy, and delusions of superiority and entitlement, NPD is linked with interpersonal exploitation, rage, and aggression that is most often directed at family members. Making matters worse for victims, narcissists compulsively deny their behavior and project it onto the people they hurt, and they frequently cultivate a likable or even do-gooder public persona that belies their ongoing abuses behind closed doors.

Myths About Narcissistic Abuse
Here are eight misconceptions about narcissistic abuse that are as dangerous as they are false.

1. It's not physical, so it's not abuse. Narcissistic abuse can be physical and sexual, but it often involves psycho-emotional violations such as constant judgment, belittlement, and blame. Studies show that nonphysical abuse is often as traumatic as physical abuse, leaving lasting scars that affect our long-term physical and mental health (CPTSD).

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