How Narcissistic Parenting Can Affect You as an Adult
People raised by narcissistic parents can struggle with self-worth, shame, confusion and fear. They may have trouble trusting in relationships due to how they have been conditioned when they were children.
Anna Lacey, lcsw
10/5/20261 min read
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Many adults raised by narcissistic parents struggle to answer a deceptively simple question:
What do I want?
They may be highly skilled at recognizing what other people want. They can detect a slight change in someone’s tone, anticipate disappointment, and modify themselves before a conflict even begins. Yet when asked about their own feelings or needs, they may become confused, ashamed, or afraid.
This is not because they are inherently indecisive or overly sensitive. It may be because they grew up in a family where maintaining connection required them to pay more attention to the parent’s inner world than to their own.