setting boundaries with narcissists

Everything You Know About Setting Boundaries with Narcissists Is (Probably) Wrong

Sharing is caring

Just set healthy boundaries! Speak what’s on your mind! Assert your truth!

When you’re in a relationship with a narcissist, and you opt to disclose some of your troubles, these are the trite suggestions you’ll typically receive. Friends, family members, and even therapists will encourage you to sharpen your communication, set boundaries, and let the other person know exactly how you feel.

As if these are the magic answers that will cure the layers of pain and anguish. As if merely speaking more clearly can change years of agonizing and insidious abuse.

So, are these suggestions supposed to work? And, if not, is setting boundaries with narcissists even possible? 

Let’s unpack the truth about setting boundaries with narcissists…

Rule #1: The Narcissist Doesn’t Care About Your Boundaries

Let’s examine the nature of boundaries for a moment. Boundaries are effective when healthy people share mutual levels of respect and compassion for each other. They work when both parties equally hope to improve the quality of the relationship.

However, when you focus on setting boundaries with a narcissist, you’re focusing on trying to change a person that doesn’t exist. In other words, you’re living in a false delusion that the narcissist genuinely cares about your needs and desires.

Narcissists care about power and control. They care about one-sided validation and praise, and they employ drastic measures of manipulation to meet their selfish needs. They need to be right. At all costs. Without question or recourse. 

Therefore, when you attempt to set a boundary, narcissists perceive this as a personal attack. It’s as if you’re doubting their amazing, wonderful perfectionism! How dare you do that!

And because narcissists cannot acknowledge mistakes or weaknesses, they will react to your boundaries with a variety of dramatic reactions including:

  • Gaslighting
  • Complete denial
  • Abuse (physical or emotional)
  • Cognitive empathy
  • Defensiveness

Remember that narcissists don’t care how you feel because they can only care about how they feel. When you start to “question” the way they act (i.e., set a boundary), your intentions for positive change are very likely to backfire. 

Rule #2 – Reexamine The Boundaries You Have For Yourself

Instead of focusing on what you need from the narcissist in your life, focus on what you need from yourself. Is it a sense of respect? A healthy and happy relationship? Someone who can unconditionally support you? Is it all of the above?

Expect that this internal search will be painful. You’ve probably devoted years to focusing on what the narcissist needs. It’s challenging when we realize that we haven’t acknowledged our own desires. Moreover, it’s gutting when we learn that the person who received so much of our love, attention, and support cannot and will not reciprocate those basic needs.

As adults, it is our responsibility to take care of ourselves. We choose who we allow into our lives, and we also choose how much of ourselves we are willing to give. We are not defenseless children, and we do not owe any relationship out of obligation. 

At this point, at the realization that traditional boundaries won’t work with the narcissist, you will likely face a conundrum. What kind of relationship do you want with this person? Better yet, do you want a relationship with them at all? 

Rule #3 – Paradoxically, narcissists actually love boundaries

This rule may seem counterintuitive.  After all, if you’ve ever tried to set a boundary with the narcissist in your life, you know how it turned out (and it was probably somewhat traumatizing).

But after the dust settles, the narcissist realizes that they know exactly what means the most to you and what things you want them to start and stop doing.  This is precisely how they know the best ways to keep hurting you, which means that the juicy supply they’ve been getting from you will be available on tap whenever they want.

Sharing your boundaries with the narcissist also gives them perfect ammunition for a seamless hoovering attempt when they want to get you back under their thumb after a painful discard and subsequent Silent Treatment.  

When the narcissist has deep, intimate knowledge of your boundaries, it enables their continued dysfunction all while you keep working hard to salvage the relationship. 

The person you think you love is merely a phantom conjured up by the narcissist in an effort to “hook” you through your heart and manipulate you–this is why your radical acceptance of the truth about the narcissist puts you one step out the door.


Rule #4 – Radically Accept ‘What Is’ And Consider No-Contact

No matter how or why we reach this conundrum, we are left with two options for setting boundaries and getting our needs met in a narcissistic relationship.

Radical Acceptance

Try to radically accept that the narcissist cannot change. Stop resisting. Stop fighting. Stop feeding into the what-if scenarios. Cease trying to appeal to their long-gone inner child.  These actions are exhausting, and they can take a tremendous toll on both your physical and mental health. 

Narcissists are who they are. By radically accepting them and choosing to stay in a relationship with them, you are taking the good, the bad, and all the ugly. You choose to let go of the expectations and the insatiable desire for change. You choose to accept this dynamic, as it was, as it is, and as it will be.

That doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to feel upset or angry. Acceptance isn’t the absence of emotions. Instead, it’s acknowledging the emotions without acting on them with behaviors such as over-explaining things, defending yourself, and expecting that the narcissist can somehow be different.  They can’t and they won’t.  

Going No Contact

One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself when detaching from a toxic relationship is learning to master the art of self-discipline. Learning how to tell yourself ‘no’ is an important step to becoming a stronger and more resilient person. This is especially true when you are trying to maintain No Contact with an emotional abuser.

Self-discipline while going No Contact can help you achieve your recovery goals and realize your dream of freedom. Many times, achieving the recovery goals you set for yourself requires you to sacrifice time, money, and energy you might prefer to spend on other things. Are you willing to have this dedication? Are you willing to invest in resources that will help you escape your abusive situation instead of trying to lone-wolf it or binge-watching YouTube videos without ever making any real change?

Self-discipline helps you have a greater focus 

By shutting out the things that take you away from your recovery goals, you can focus on what is most important. This might mean not going to the bar with your best friend on Saturday night, and instead, staying home to watch feel-good rom-coms and eat pizza.  It might mean instead of spending hours on Facebook and YouTube every evening, you shut off your phone and spend time with your children or your pet.  

Focus is nearly impossible to achieve without self-discipline, and your healing will be nearly impossible to achieve without focus. Are you willing to focus intensely on extricating yourself from the abusive narcissist?  Are you willing to train yourself to engage in new, healing habits?

The keys to breaking free are simple, albeit not so easy to implement

If you make a commitment to yourself, guard it with your life!  If you break a commitment to yourself, remember that you are human. But, you need to prioritize your commitments to yourself in the same way you have prioritized the narcissist’s needs.

Recovery means learning where your boundaries are and how to hold them when someone challenges them. 

First, you decide them.  Then you practice them.  Then you adjust them as necessary, in response to your experiences and interactions.

Doing this will make them more solid.  The more wiggle room your boundaries have, the more easily they can break.

Let your personal boundaries be an expression and extension of who you are. Define them, and let them help you define YOU…or, rather, let your boundaries show you who you really are.  Yes, you will receive backlash from setting boundaries with narcissists, but it’s better than self-abandoning, which eventually leads to self-loathing and feelings of helplessness.  

If you are tired of living your life on the back burner, if you are tired of existing as an afterthought, punching bag, or exhausted empath, you need a surefire path toward healing.

If you’re ready to break free and get started on the stages of healing after narcissistic abuse NOW, there’s only ONE way to do it: Let me show you how to forget the narcissist and move on.


Sharing is caring

Leave a Comment:

13 comments
Anonymous says November 23, 2022

My issue is the siblings. This has been visibly escalating/percolating for the last 8 years! The one sibling went to the other and has recruited them to be their flying monkey, and do all their dirty work/bidding for them, because the one sibling has zero communication skills and refuses to even make any effort to communicate. They won’t even try if they believe someone will question them, which they immediately label as confrontation. They want/expect complete, instantaneous compliance without question. The flying monkey cornered my at a restaurant with what I can only describe as an ambush. I stand accused of many unthinkable things, which the flying monkey levelled at me, on the other siblings behalf. It was evident this sibling was siding with the other sibling, even though they don’t have any knowledge of what actually happened, in any situation. There were no questions for clarification, nor did they say, ‘this is what (the other) sibling thinks’, or even ask if the accusations were true. They did not care! Among other things, I now know the one sibling has a grudge against me, going back more than 3 1/2 DECADES! I had no idea, and this issue had absolutely nothing to do with me, I had no part in it, yet I’m being held accountable for it! I’m accused of turning people against the one sibling…no such thing happened, we never had a conversation about this sibling, in any way, shape or form! I’ve tried to have a conversation with the one sibling, to explain this and about how all this is affecting me. I also told this sibling to stop trying to be the middleman between me and the other sibling (at what point should you expect a person to be an adult, and fight their own battles, or have a conversation, to try to work this out? Both siblings are over 60…one is almost 70!)…and all they did was take that back to the other sibling, and now I’m being called dramatic, irrational and unreasonable. Now this sibling is going behind my back to my children, trying to cozy up to them, and have taken swipes at me, calling me names, and trying to pump them for information about me. I was forced to go no contact quite some time ago, and am quite concerned and angry about this sibling trying to manipulate my children, and the position they are putting my kids in! I’ve set a boundary and told my kids that anything about me is off limits to discuss with their aunts/uncles! These siblings know how to contact me, yet haven’t lifted a finger to do so. It seems to have gotten worse since I went no contact and put boundaries in place. They have really escalated in an effort to force me to react in some way. So far, I’ve been able to keep myself in check and refuse to react or give them anything, but I am so done with this and them! I just want to live in peace, and be left alone.

Reply
patti G collins says June 25, 2021

The narcissist in my life is my son, who is also an alcoholic. We get beat up alot with his rage and the next day he acts like nothing happened. He talks about all his successes at work with us when just the day before, he verbally abused both of us. Never an apology and then he doesn’t understand why we don’t want to talk to him. I don’t know how to express my feelings about his Jekel and Hyde personality and why I don’t want to communicate with him. Its like a wife beater who apologizes and then does it again and again I just want it to stop.

Reply
Anonymous says June 23, 2021

The biggest mistake we all make with narcissists/sociopaths after we’ve been seduced through the love-bombing phase (which can take a few weeks or even years depending on the supply you can- and are willing to offer) is we miss (or better deny) the red flags that showed up from the start.

From the start they overwhelmed us with attention out of the blue.
Many of us didn’t even knew them previously. They just invaded our live with big interested/romantic gestures. Their entitlement to invade our live this way (a complete stranger to them and us) should have been a big warning sign. Most of us were in a difficult situation at the time they ‘found’ us.

But it’s surely addictive. A person dedicating so much attention to you without questions asked about who you really are (seemingly accepting who you are). And right away offer their body and sex and fullfill all your fantasy wishes. For a while. Depending how long you are willing/able to cater to their needs.

The moment you get into (serious) trouble someway you’ll see them getting unsupportive, taking distance and finally getting devaluating you. And if you let them the opportunity they will discard you before you discard them.

So, on bounderies. Don’t let them play with your bounderies and test them anymore. When you are ready make your boundery clear to them with all the disgust you feel towards them in a letter or e-mail (so they can read it again).
Just cut it off with how you feel and think about them.
Burn the bridge. They never will, as long you let them escape with some doubt on your behalve.
It’s up to you.

Reply
Ge says June 23, 2021

What you say here is so right in my view.
Trying to set reasonable bounderies with narcissists is pointless. To them it means just another challenge to cross them. To test you out.

You don’t have to maintain and tell them your bounderies.
They love it as long you don’t make a clear stance and cut them out for good. They love the attention and keep the game going on.
You’ll have to be vicious and very clear on your bounderies to them.
Call them out on their abusive behaviour in direct words and that there will never be any entry into your live again.

That should be your boundery. Stop playing their game. Cut them out.

Reply
Lori says June 3, 2021

It is pretty much impossible for me to leave, but I am talking to a therapist at Help, Inc. (org. for domestic violence/women). Have accepted what he is and I feel i’m doing “ok” in my reaction to his hard. abuse. BIGGEST problem though, is what to do w/the anger I cannot express? Isolated, do not drive, 60 yrs. old (married 8),, no support. We all know anger swallowed = depression. This article was very helpful, as they all are. Thank you, Kim, you’re an angel. Respectfully yours, Lori

Reply
Pasha says June 2, 2021

Your insights are at their sharpest when you take on instated (but questionable) truisms Kim. This holds especially true on the question of boundaries.

Reply
Anonymous says June 1, 2021

This was a great help. As was the video that came along with it. Thank you for providing such detailed and helpful information! And for reminding us that there is hope to move beyond all of this!!

Reply
    Kim Saeed says June 2, 2021

    You are welcome, Anon! 🙂

    Reply
louise koopman says October 2, 2020

so true

Reply
Geraldine says August 11, 2020

I didn’t find it hard to let go of the narcissistic relationship once I realised they are just in fact mentally ill and never could offer any real relationship to me or anyone else. What I found seismic was dealing with me and why I would be attracted to this person. That is the really interesting journey and one well worth going on. Such as, how you were loved as a child is how you expect to be loved by partners. Brutal but true.

Reply
corinne stephens says August 10, 2020

Hi there Kim. İ am at a very painful beginning in my journey/awakening after 28 years. İ have a very old i pad which does not seem to let me open any videos. Will this be a problem if İ sign up to your masterclass? Am i right in thinking İ wont be able to access parts of the lessons? Please let me know. Many thanks x

Reply
Rosemary says August 6, 2020

For being going no contact as much as possible is setting a boundary. I blocked his number from my calling and texting. He has tried many ways to get me to contact him or reach out to him and I rarely do. If I do it is bare minimum. We have a couple of loose ends that need tied but I am ready to get rid of them completely as well. Does it make me sad? Hell yes at times. But so many things are getting better for me. The way he treated me during our relationship and the way it escalated in the end makes it easier for me to go no contact. He is textbook covert narcissist.

Reply
    Kim Saeed says August 7, 2020

    Glad you are free now, Rosemary! Xo

    Reply
Add Your Reply