I Fell for the Love Bombing of a Narcissist
Here’s What To Expect In Their Bag of Tricks.
I Remember the First Time
I was told by the narcissist that he had been looking for me his whole life. I felt like my heart exploded. I had finally found what I had been looking for. All of the failed relationships and pain had led to this.
For the first few months things were absolutely perfect. I felt like I was in heaven. He just got me like no one else ever had. I loved so many things about him. I loved that he was a musician. I loved how sensitive he was. I loved that he bought me a ukulele for Christmas because I mentioned wanting to learn to play. I loved that we went on trips and escaped from the world. I loved that within a few weeks he had picked out “our song” and we sang it the whole drive home.
Perhaps you’re in a situation where you feel like someone is coming on very strong and you’re questioning if it’s real. What is love bombing and how can you avoid it or identify it? I want to speak to a few things that I experienced personally in my situation and what is generally considered “love bombing.”
You find that you are being overwhelmed with affection.
Love bombing happens when someone constantly show you signs of adoration and makes you feel like you’re at the center of their universe. You’ll be told that you’re beautiful, you’ll find flowers at work, perhaps even get a few love notes on the mirror. It won’t matter if you’ve only known this person for a just few days or for a couple weeks, it’s going to come on strong.
You feel like you’ve met the love of your life.
The connection was so intense, I had never felt anything like it sexually or emotionally. Looking back however, I realize that real love doesn’t happen instantly.
I had never felt the intensity that I felt in those first few weeks and months.It was infatuation at the beginning, but I think that my feelings did eventually turn into love. His did not, although he had only put on the facade that he loved me for most of our relationship.
Things will move VERY quickly.
Within a couple weeks, he had told me that I was what he was looking for — I remember crying as he held my head in his hands and told me that he already knew I was the love of his life, and he couldn’t believe it had taken so long to find me.
Within a couple months we were looking at apartments to move into and constantly talking about our future plans.
He mentioned wanting to get me pregnant multiple times which would have been yet another way to tie me down and track me — but at the time I thought it was romantic.
I couldn’t have been more mistaken.
In the aftermath as he began pulling back his affection, I wondered what I had done wrong. Wasn’t I everything he had been looking for? No, but it wasn’t my fault as it turns out that I had been completely deceived by a master manipulator.
Things will begin to change, and you won’t understand why.
The gifts stopped. The sweet texts stopped. The kindness and love that I had been receiving constantly was now cut off. Suddenly, he was staying out all night and not communicating with me for hours or days at a time. We worked together, so I would see him come in hungover and when I asked what was going on he would just ignore me.
Here and there he would still give me attention, just enough to keep me around but it wasn’t nearly what it was in the beginning…not even close.
The love that you’ve received is superficial, and he doesn’t know the real you.
A narcissist isn’t going to take the time to know the in-and-outs of who you are. I remember at the very end of our relationship, a friend of mine asked my ex what he loved about me. He could have said absolutely anything in the world, but all he could come up with was “what everyone else loves about her.” Not that I was beautiful, not that I was smart… after all the time he spent with me he couldn’t come up with one thing.
When he discards you it will be one of the most painful things you have experienced.
I made the mistake of not cutting off all contact after breaking up with the narcissist. I wasn’t strong enough to cut all of the ties, but just by allowing him to continue having contact with me, I was still letting him have control. He had the upper hand, and he told me that he was done with me, and that although I had tried…it just wasn’t enough.
I’ve never had someone be so cold and calculated towards me. It felt like my heart was being torn in two.
I have never felt such a physical pain following emotional trauma. I honestly believe that breaking that tie and breaking free was so painful, that I lost years of my life.
But..a healthy relationship should still give you butterflies.
I don’t want to insinuate that you can only feel this “crazy” kind of infatuation with love bombing. However, if you feel like things are moving too quickly, set boundaries.
A person who respects you will respect your boundaries, and you can protect your heart while still allowing yourself to fall in love.
