What Is The Narcissist Discard Phase? - The Ultimate Coping Guide

For this kind of abuser, once they have totally broken your confidence, wrecked your mental health, and isolated you from your entourage, they’ll get bored by you and decide that they need to move on to fresher pastures. Essentially, a narcissist discards you when you no longer represent a challenge for them. The discard phase is one of the most painful stages in a relationship with a narcissist. After months or years of emotional manipulation, gaslighting, and control, the narcissist suddenly decides that you are no longer of use to them. This phase is not only shocking but can leave you feeling utterly broken. It’s important to remember that the discard is not a reflection of your worth, but rather a testament to the narcissist’s inability to form genuine, healthy connections.

What happens during the narcissist discard phase? - 10 Things I’ve also been through 😨

1) My abuser became even meaner

In any typical cycle of abuse, things get a lot worse before they ever get better. Now, when a male narcissist finally decides that he is done with his victim and wants to move on and start afresh, they’ll become ever viler than beforehand. Here, the insults will increase tenfold, as well as the shaming, criticism, and gaslighting. During the discard phase, the narcissist’s cruelty often reaches new heights. They may intensify their verbal abuse, making you feel worthless and insignificant. This is their way of ensuring that you leave the relationship with as little self-esteem as possible, making it harder for you to move on or rebuild your life.

2) He threw threats around

Despite them already moving on, these abusers just won’t be content in letting you leave amicably, and instead of apologizing for all the pain they’ve put you through, they’ll threaten you in order to obtain your silence. Whilst these dangerous characters are totally at ease with their toxic personalities in a private setting, in public, they have a reputation to protect, and can’t afford to be exposed. In reality, they’ll do whatever it takes to keep you quiet and therefore continue their reign of evil. Ultimately, if other people knew how sadistic they really were, they’d never be able to trap new victims.

3) He deleted me from social media

In their insular worlds, deleting you from social media is one of the biggest punishments that exists. For folks with narcissistic tendencies, social media is key to feeding their egos. They love showing off to their followers and making them believe that their lives are fantastic, whereas, in reality, it is just a simple act of smoke and mirrors. For narcissists, social media is a tool to craft a carefully curated image of themselves. By deleting you, they are not only erasing you from their public life but also sending a clear message that you no longer hold any value in their world. This act of deletion is meant to hurt you and reinforce their sense of superiority.

4) The love bombing wore off

Whereas before, they’d shower you with compliments and gifts, during the narcissist discard phase, you’ll be lucky if they even bother to acknowledge you. The sudden shift from excessive affection to cold indifference is jarring. This stark contrast is designed to confuse you and make you question what went wrong. Narcissists use love bombing as a tool to manipulate, and once they’ve decided you’re no longer useful, they withdraw all forms of affection, leaving you feeling abandoned and unworthy.

>>> Read up on love bombing here.

5) I hardly ever saw or heard from him

Once they have decided they are done with their victims, they’ll move into ghosting mode, meaning you won’t hear from them for excessive periods of time. Plus, they’ll no longer harass you to find out who you are with and what time you’ll be back. Furthermore, your weekly date nights and special routines will become a thing of the distant past.

6) He let me see my friends and family

When their abusive tendencies are in full swing, they typically forbid their victims from seeing their loved ones, in order to remain in full control over them. Here, their aim is to limit all outsider’s points of view and opinions on your relationship. They like to keep contact with the outside world to a strict minimum so that no one will pick up on what’s really going on. However, when they have decided to move on, they’ll no longer pay attention to who you chat to and will even stop reading your text messages.

7) Jealousy becomes a non-issue

When a narcissist abuser only has eyes for you, you can expect them to get jealous over anything and everything, trust me, even a smile from your local barista will set them off. However, when they decide that they are finished with you, they’ll become totally laid-back when other guys attempt to flirt with you.

8) He openly complimented and flirted with other girls

Now, these cunning folks don’t do anything by halves, and they certainly won’t hold back in getting the message across when they no longer want you. You can therefore expect them to flirt with other girls at every opportunity. After all, they never pass up on an occasion to make you feel bad about yourself, so why would they start just as your relationship is breaking down?

9) He started up a smear campaign

Here, they won’t hold back, and because they are such master manipulators and expert gaslighters, they’ll lie and fabricate horrible rumors about how toxic and dangerous YOU are. In fact, the victims of narcissistic abuse are typically made out to be the perpetrators of it.

10) He blamed me for everything

Everything will be your fault and try as you might to make them understand their shortcomings, they’ll never be willing to reconsider their behavior, or apologize for it. The truth is, for these folks, they are never in the wrong, which explains why they typically place their own feelings above everyone else’s. Attempting to reason with them is therefore useless because they, unfortunately, don’t want to change.

3 Signs the narcissist is preparing to discard you

When a narcissist is preparing to discard you, they often exhibit noticeable behavioral changes as they gradually detach and look for new sources of validation.

1) Increased criticism and devaluation:

The narcissist begins to focus intensely on your flaws, real or imagined, and escalates their criticism. This devaluation phase serves to justify their decision to discard you while undermining your self-esteem.

2) Emotional withdrawal:

They become emotionally distant and unresponsive, showing less interest in your thoughts, feelings, and activities. This emotional withdrawal is a clear sign that the narcissist is detaching from the relationship. They no longer see you as a source of validation, and their focus shifts elsewhere. This coldness can be incredibly painful, as it leaves you feeling invisible and unimportant.

3) Idealizing a new source of supply:

The narcissist may start talking about someone new in glowing terms or spend an increasing amount of time with another person. This new source of admiration and attention is often a replacement for the validation they previously sought from you.

What does a narcissist discard feel like? - The most common emotions involved and their impacts 🌪️

When you’re pushed aside by a narcissist, you can experience a wide range of complex and disturbing emotions. The discard phase can feel like an emotional rollercoaster, leaving you questioning your self-worth and sanity. The narcissist’s sudden rejection can trigger feelings of abandonment, confusion, and deep sadness. It’s important to recognize that these emotions are a natural response to the manipulation and abuse you’ve endured. Healing from this phase requires time, self-compassion, and support from trusted friends or professionals. Here are some of the common emotions associated with this situation:

• Rejection: Being rejected by a narcissist can leave you feeling deeply rejected. You may feel devalued, unwanted, and unappreciated. The abuser may choose to deliberately exclude you or relegate you to the background, which can lead to painful feelings of abandonment.
• Confusion: The unpredictable actions and behaviors of a narcissist can be confusing. You may wonder why you’ve been dismissed, without understanding the reasons behind the decision. These devious personalities can manipulate and play with emotions, leading to confusion and uncertainty about your position in the relationship.
• Sadness: Being pushed aside by a narcissist can provoke deep sadness and a sense of loss. You may feel the loss of the relationship and the initial idealization you had of this person. The realization that the relationship was unbalanced and based on the narcissist’s selfish needs can lead to great sadness.
• Anger: You may feel used, manipulated, and betrayed. Recognition of the narcissist’s toxic, egocentric behavior can lead to frustration and indignation. Here’s how you can control your fits of anger.
• Lowered self-esteem: When you go through narcissist discard, your self-esteem can be negatively affected. Constant criticism, denigration, and rejection can undermine self-confidence and reinforce feelings of inadequacy.

It’s important to stress that these emotions can vary from person to person, and depend on the intensity of the relationship and the duration of the interaction with the abuser. It’s essential to remember that the narcissist’s behavior is a reflection of his or her own problems and does not define your value as an individual.

>>> Discover the signs you are actually texting a narcissist

Do narcissists forget you after discard? - Here’s what happened to me 😱

Narcissistic people can have behaviors and attitudes that differ considerably from person to person, so it’s not possible to completely generalize their behavior regarding an ex-partner. However, there are certain aspects to consider, especially when the discard phase has been activated. In my case, I soon found out that my narcissist ex tended to focus more on himself and his needs than on anything else. In fact, my relationship with my ex-partner no longer served a purpose for him or no longer brought him the emotional or narcissistic gratification he needed, which explains why he moved on pretty rapidly. As soon as he started to feel his influence fading, he moved on to his next victim and started the cycle of torture over again. Following our breakup, we actually randomly bumped into each other whilst in town and he came over to say hello, while I was with my friends. Here, he basically acted like everything was normal and fine between us, which seemed odd at the time, but now looking back, I’m very grateful that he acted that way.

In some cases, these abusers might forget about victims quite easily or show little interest in them after the discard. ⚠️ Every abuser is different after all! ⚠️ On the other hand, some narcissists may find it hard to let their ex go completely, especially if they feel their ego or reputation is threatened by the breakup. They may try to maintain control over their ex-partner, seek to manipulate them, or even win them back to bolster their own self-esteem.

Be sure to check out these articles too;

• 10 Signs he’s hurting after a breakup
• Is a covert narcissist dangerous?
• 10 Signs a married man is using you