The five questions to ask yourself if you think you’re dating a narcissist – and how to protect yourself from their tricks

Mental health experts have revealed five telltale signs someone is a narcissist and how to protect yourself from abuse.

Alana Carvalho, a US-based mental health counselor, shared five important questions people can ask themselves if they suspect someone they are in a relationship with might be a narcissist.

Gathering information from psychology experts, she said narcissists can cause people to feel a lot of self-doubt, disconnected from their own feelings, pushed away or as if the relationship is all about them.

The mother of two said discovering whether someone, such as a partner, colleague, family member or friend, is a narcissist can help control the person ‘and lay the groundwork for verbal, emotional or physical abuse’ .

“How can we recognize those people who at best bore us with a list of their achievements at parties, or at worst commit some form of abuse?” Alana asked on Instagram after.

She explained that narcissism is a personality trait and while everyone falls somewhere on the spectrum, the top 10 percent of those with the highest levels are considered narcissists.

“Noticing how you feel around a person can be a good indicator of how he or she scores on the narcissism scale,” she said, adding that one in 10 people are narcissists.

Alana suggests asking yourself this question: Are you feeling a lot of self-doubt? Do you feel disconnected from your own feelings? Do you feel pushed away or attracted?

She added to notice if the other person is “showing” or “actually expressing” their feelings.

Finally, Alana said to ask if there is balance in the relationship or if it is all about the other person.

‘Conversations (and relationships) must go back and forth: you share vulnerability and the other expresses concern. Then the other person shares a vulnerability and your concern,” she explained.

“Not so much with a narcissist.”

Narcissism, Alana explained, generally means that a person has an inflated view of themselves and a lack of close, warm relationships with other people.

“Rather than true friendships, romantic partnerships and family ties, narcissists’ relationships can be defined by the triple E’s,” she said.

The first ‘E’ stands for exploitation, which means they will do whatever it takes, regardless of the impact on others, to make themselves feel ‘special’.

Entitlement is the second ‘E’ where the person acts as if the world must ‘bend to his will’.

The last ‘E’ stands for empathy disorders, which makes a narcissist feel special compared to others.

“These people who lose sight of the fact that other people even have their own feelings, needs and perspectives,” Alana wrote.

“These tendencies can lay the foundation for verbal, emotional, and physical abuse.”

Alana said there are three types of narcissists who use different tactics to make themselves “feel special.”

An overt narcissist is usually the way most people view narcissism and will deal with it by feeling superior to others.

“Covert narcissists feel special because they are seen as the person who suffers the greatest misfortune or misunderstanding,” Alana said.

“(What) this person is going through will inevitably overshadow the issues you are dealing with.”

The third type is a communal narcissist who feels special because he is seen as the most helpful person in any group.

Being aware of narcissistic tendencies can help a person avoid falling prey to their deceptions and tricks.

“Don’t blame yourself if you find yourself entangled in a narcissist’s web!” Alana concluded.

“It’s a very difficult dynamic and can be difficult to detect.”

Hundreds of followers of the mental health expert applauded the insightful information with one statement: “Eye-opening! So extremely helpful and affirming’.

“So good… the law is so true and easy for people to get caught up in,” wrote a second.

“They will tell you that you are responsible for the way they treat you,” a third added.