Childhood trauma survivors often experience neglect, rejection, and emotional abandonment. These wounds can create an internal belief that they are unworthy of unconditional love, making them more susceptible to narcissists’ love-bombing tactics. During this phase, the narcissist showers the survivor with affection, attention, and admiration, creating the illusion of the perfect partner. Uneducated about these grooming techniques, survivors may believe they’ve found their soulmate.
Empathy as a Double-Edged Sword
Trauma survivors are often highly empathetic and driven by a deep desire to help others heal. This makes them particularly vulnerable to pathological individuals, who will present themselves as broken or in need of saving. Survivors may feel compelled to provide the love and care they lacked in their own childhood. Unfortunately, this desire to heal and help is exploited, leaving survivors drained, unappreciated, and unreciprocated.
Groomed for Guilt and Validation
Many trauma survivors have been conditioned from a young age to accept guilt and take responsibility for things outside their control. Pathological individuals exploit this by blaming survivors for any conflict or chaos in the relationship. Additionally, survivors often carry a deep need for validation, stemming from years of feeling unseen or unheard. Narcissists use this need to manipulate survivors by initially offering excessive praise and admiration, only to withhold it later as a form of control.
Codependency and Self-Sacrifice
Trauma survivors often develop codependency tendencies as a survival mechanism, prioritizing the needs and emotions of others over their own. This inclination to give without expecting anything in return is highly attractive to pathological individuals. Over time, the survivor’s identity becomes enmeshed with the narcissist’s demands, leaving no room for self-care or individuality.
Extraordinary Capacity for Forgiveness
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