If you have any type of intimate relationship with a narcissist, you are probably wondering how on earth they continue living the way they do without collapsing. Narcissists are on a constant quest for narcissistic supply; because of this, they rarely run out of it. If in fact they do, or believe that they have, they will collapse. The collapse of a narcissist is one of the most bewildering things to witness because of how dramatic it usually is and how bizarre it is in relation to their normal behaviors.
Narcissists are constantly searching for supply because they have no true inner sense of value for themselves and no true sense of self esteem. Narcissistic supply is what fuels their existence, what makes them feel good (or at least momentarily better), and what makes them feel like they have value. If they lose supply and are depleted of any and all senses of value, their collapse will be an interesting one to witness. This is what you should be prepared to see if you ever come across a narcissist during their collapse.Â
They lose their ability to control themselves.Â
Narcissists are constantly doing everything that they can in order to control their surroundings. When a narcissist collapses, they suddenly lose the ability to control anything-including themselves.Â
They start to behave erratically or impulsively.
Because they have less self-control, they start to behave erratically and start to act impulsively. They start making mistakes. They start saying things that might get them in trouble or make them look bad. On a normal day for a narcissist, behaviors that might be deemed as regrettable later on tend to never happen. If you are preparing for negotiating with a narcissist in a court setting, definitely document the mistakes they make as they will be great trial exhibits!Â
Hoovering
During the narcissist’s collapse, they will often try to get you back into their lives. They need supply and will do anything that they can to get it back. They may even beg you desperately for another chance in addition to love bombing you once again.Â
Narcissistic Rage
During a narcissist’s collapse, their narcissistic injury has been completely triggered. If they don’t go into narcissistic rage, you will probably see a complete and total meltdown as described below.Â
They may have a complete and total meltdown.Â
If this happens, you’ll start to see crying, anxiety/panic attacks, and possibly severe depression. What the narcissist is constantly trying to protect themselves from is what they will be experiencing. The crying will not be to manipulate you, the anxiety/panic attacks will be honest, the depressive episodes will be true. This might be the most honest you will see the narcissist- when they have completely collapsed into themselves.Â
