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There’s an old saying: “You can’t get blood from a turnip.” What a perfect metaphor for a relationship with a narcissist! If you’ve been with a narcissist, you probably know all too well the frustration—and exhaustion—of struggling to extract even the bare minimum of caring, compassion, understanding, and empathy—and coming up with nothing but indifference, apathy, coldness, dismissal, and emotional unavailability. Squeeze all you want—that turnip, aka narcissist, will never yield blood. (And probably not much in the way of juice, either.) Let’s look at some of the ways we squeeze the turnip and come up dry in narcissistic relationships.

Many of us have found ourselves in relationships where we know something's not right, something feels "off." But we just can't put our finger on what it is. Are you worried you might be in a narcissistic relationship? Or that you’re last relationship was tinged with narcissistic abuse and you want to break the pattern now! Narcissists can be subtle or overt. Narcissistic relationships are, by definition, toxic: unhealthy, soul-sucking, destructive, and dysfunctional. If you've been in a relationship with someone you suspect is a narcissist, no doubt you can relate.

Narcissistic relationships are emotionally abusive, draining, and damaging to our psyches, our bodies, and our spirits. If you've been in a narcissistic relationship, it's a safe bet you've got some healing—and some rebuilding—to do.‍You've been through the pains, now it's time for the gains.‍ Following are a few of my favorite suggestions. They're doctor-recommended. (Because, hey, I'm a doctor and I recommend them.) I've used them all. They work.