Many people think that a divorce has to be a contentious matter, but this isn’t the case. Many divorces can be handled through mediation and similar means, but that requires both parties to work together.
For a person who’s divorcing a narcissist, trying to have a civilized divorce might be impossible or close to it. Narcissism involves a heightened sense of self-worth and an inability to consider how their actions will impact those around them. Many people who have this mental health condition also live in a fantasy land where they’re always right, and everyone else is wrong.
Control your emotions
A person who has narcissism personality disorder needs to feel powerful and important. They may do this by trying to get you to react to their antics. Keeping your emotions in check when you’re dealing with them can avoid giving that power to them. Try to keep the focus on the children and the divorce matters so you can make decisions that are best for each area.
Help your children cope
Having a parent who’s a narcissist is hard because of how they try to make everything difficult for those around them. Your children need to learn how to set boundaries and stick to those. In some cases, the narcissistic parent will treat the children well, but they may treat you poorly. If your child sees this and realizes what’s going on, they may have emotional conflicts about the situation so be there to talk to them about how they’re feeling.
All divorces are challenging enough in their own right. Regardless of the situation, you should ensure you understand the options you have for each area of the divorce. Having everything in writing is important so you can refer to the terms of the property division or parenting plan when necessary. It can also help you in the future if you have to battle the narcissist about what’s supposed to happen.
