I’ve recently come out of an emotionally abusive relationship with a man who appears to have many narcissistic traits (Love bombing. Gas lighting. On off. Hot cold. Silent treatment. Critical followed by complimentary. Lying. Cheating. Keeping me separate to his life). I’ve had counselling to help get over the damaged caused to my self esteem and she felt he behaved in a narcissistic way.
However the thing that confuses me is that he wasn’t like that with his friends (who I never met). He’d do anything for his close friends and vice versa. He’s had a lot of broken relationships but I don’t know the reasons why they broke down.
Can someone behave in this way towards a so called partner yet be a normal highly thought of friend to other people?