Basically, any emotions which relate to relational positivity are completely foreign to a pathological narcissist. Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder are sociopaths. They are unable to feel love, empathy, connectivity, sympathy, guilt, regret, remorse and a slew of other emotions that involve sustaining healthy relationships. Narcissists are unable to be genuinely supportive, helpful or caring. This is often because of traumatic events that occurred early on in the narcissist’s life. The disorder can also be genetically inherited. In fact, research has shown that there is up to an 80 percent chance sociopathic and psychopathic disorders are passed down from one’s parents. If derived from trauma, the narcissist has made an almost unconscious decision to block any stimuli that will incur further injury. This includes being susceptible to vulnerable emotions.
Those with NPD are extremely skilled as mirroring these traits, however. They are chameleons who are especially good at noting the behaviors of others and molding their own personas to match whichever environment they’re in. This is particularly true when they have a new romantic target in mind. They will do anything to trap the target, and it can be very difficult for a victim to see through the act. Narcissistic relationships undergo three distinct stages — idealize, devalue and discard. In the idealize stage, the narcissist is extremely charming and seemingly the perfect partner, fully capable of feeling all of the emotions above. But, this is only an act. Once the victim is trapped and isolated, the narcissist switches almost immediately to devaluing him or her. The false facade begins to crack and bits and pieces of the truth seep through. Unfortunately, at this point, the victim often has given everything to the narcissist — physically and emotionally — and feels as if there is no way out. Researching the disorder as much as possible, confiding in others and planning a well thought out escape are some strategies to effectively moving forward.