If you are living with a "difficult" husband, he might be stingy. He might grunt about the bills. But at the end of the day, he understands that marriage is a partnership. He knows that the electric bill needs to be paid and the kids need new shoes.A narcissist is different. A narcissist is like a 2-year-old.You know how a toddler operates? Everything they see is theirs.
"That toy? Mine."
"That cookie? Mine."
"What you’re holding? Mine."If you try to take it from them, you are met with a meltdown. This is exactly how financial abuse works in a high-conflict marriage.In my 40 years of marriage, I learned that I had no "rights" to his money. Even when I was home raising our children, keeping the house, and managing his world, the finances were a gate I wasn't allowed to pass. When I tried to work outside the home to get some independence, I was accused of being a "cheater" until I quit.It’s a trap. If you stay home, you have no money. If you leave to work, you are punished.The Cost to the Kids The tragedy is that this doesn't just hurt you. It hurts the children.We tell ourselves, "The kids are resilient. They’ll bounce back." And sure, kids can bounce back from a lot of things. But bouncing back from a narcissistic parent? That is a different kind of trauma.When you are in "survival mode"—trying to appease the narcissist to keep the peace—you unintentionally put yourself and your children on the back burner. You become so robotic in trying to manage his moods that the children’s emotional needs can get lost in the crossfire.If you are in this boat, know this: You aren't "bad with money" and you aren't imagining the control. You are dealing with a toddler who controls the bank account. And it’s time we started calling it what it is.