Hormones are a fundamental part of our make-up, no matter who we are.
The constant release or withholding of certain hormones over time can have a strong, detrimental effect on us, who we are, and how we go from living to merely existing.
Without healthy responses to love and life, we can fastly and chronically become flooded with hormones that cause severe stress and pain, and nobody talks about it nearly enough.
Today, that changes, as we delve into the 5 hormones narcissistic abuse triggers that harms your brain. If this isn’t enough to leave your abuser, I don’t know what will be.
#1 Cortisol
Welcome to your stress hormone. It’s no real surprise that narcissistic abuse is going to trigger this hormone.
Not just once either, but constantly, consistently, and in a bit, problematic way.
Cortisol is supposed to be for emergencies. It’s meant for the bear in the woods, or the guy chasing you for your phone in the street.
It’s also meant for extremely short bursts, but as you know, there are no short bursts of abuse when living with a narcissist.
Abuse is frequent, and during periods of fragmented peace, the cortisol released is the anticipation of when it will occur next.
Cortisol, as it runs through your body, will keep you on high alert. Over time, it will harm your memory and can affect your sleep.
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Your immune system will become weaker, and you feel constantly wired, even though you’re exhausted.
As a result, your nervous system never really shuts down, and you remain stuck in survival mode for far too long.
Narcissistic abuse will do that to any victim, and they learn to live to react to the smallest triggers. A bang, a sudden noise, somebody yelling; anything that will trigger the cortisol.
Your body wants you to run from the bear, but the bear is in fact your spouse, who is painfully giving you the silent treatment, or yet again telling you that nobody else will love you.
That’s a lot of stress for the brain to cope with.
#2 Adrenaline
The hormone adrenaline is your fight-or-flight, and it will surge when you feel threatened.
Those moments where you have to deal with abuse on the spot and out of nowhere, it will be adrenaline that will aid you out of it.
Over time, the release of it will make your body react as if danger is everywhere.
Whether it be a raised voice, or sudden criticism or drama that you aren’t prepared for, the unpredictability will mean adrenaline floods your body and brain.
As your heart races, your muscles tense, and your breathing starts to shallow, you will begin to feel as though you’ll never be safe again.
The way that affects your brain over time is that you learn to constantly be open to threat, waiting for the next time you are thrown off the emotional tracks you’re trying hard to stay on.
#3 Dopamine
There is no direct harm of dopamine to the brain, but it’s why the dopamine release is occurring that will harm you.
Dopamine is the reward hormone. It will spike when you are happy, excited, or you feel a connection with somebody.
It gives you a rush of positivity and warmth, and of course, it’s chased by victims of narcissistic abuse because it’s so rare to come by.
Narcissists aren’t often kind or nice, and when they are, it’s usually because they want something, or want to keep you from leaving or revealing their real character.
The love-bombing followed by the withdrawal means dopamine comes and goes in strong ways.
Your brain will start to chase it, looking for good days addictively. There’s no real bonding with people through this kind of hormonal habit, instead, it’s about what you can get, when you can get it.
Eventually, your brain just wants relief instead of real love, so you never truly know how to look for something authentic.
That’s why abuse cycles often repeat throughout various relationships with victims.
#4 Serotonin
Serotonin is the mood regulator hormone. It offers a sense of calm and stability, and we all know that victims of narcissistic abuse everywhere crave that kind of lifestyle.
They want an emotional balance that suits a healthy life, but this is where the problem starts.
Chronic stress and the release of both cortisol and adrenaline will lower serotonin. That stress comes from the narcissist constantly aiming their abuse at you.
The criticism, the uncertainty, the neglect both physically and emotionally is enough to make anybody feel extremely low over time, getting worse and worse.
As you start to feel low, you become irritable, and everything seems so hopeless.
This doesn’t mean you’re broken, it means the chemistry of your brain is totally off and under immense strain.
Prolonged stress will do that to anybody, and serotonin’s lack will make your brain feel like it’s constantly foggy and create a bleak outlook of your future.
The worst part of this is how tricky it is to start to bring more serotonin into your life, through things that make you happy, as you are restricted by the narcissist so much.
They stop you from following your hobbies, dreams and goals, and that’s only going to encourage a limit on serotonin.
#5 Oxytocin
When you reach out and connect with people, the hormone oxytocin will be released. Getting close, touch, trust; the general feeling that you are safe and loved will create oxytocin in droves.
Is it any real surprise that this also lacks when you are involved with a narcissist?
No.
Narcissists will use touch and affection against you, purposely withholding it to make you feel alone, but, when there are rare moments of connection between you, your brain will want it harder, which only means the inevitable distress that follows will hit you harder.
In other words – very high highs, and incredibly low lows will be a part of your life all the while a narcissist is also in it.
It’s also a huge reason as to why you struggle to imagine leaving the narcissist.
Your brain is chemically attached to the idea that you need those high moments, even if they come from the very abuser that is making your life hell.
#6 Healing
When you learn to heal, you learn to not only balance these 5 hormones, but they slowly start to regulate themselves, showing up when they need to and not in ways that overwhelmingly flood your nervous system.
Victims of narcissistic abuse are always going to be more likely to experience high levels of cortisol and adrenaline, and over time they will take over and suppress all the good hormones that should be released when you find joy in little things, from doing what you love, to hugging somebody close to you.
The harm that your brain goes through is not something we talk about enough, but that’s where I have to speak up and tell you that there’s so much harm and pain going on behind the scenes.
When the narcissist is yelling at you, your body is reacting.
It’s time to start listening.
