Introduction: The Day You Realise You No Longer Recognise Yourself When Maya looked in the mirror after the relationship ended, she did not immediately think about her ex. She thought: “When did I become this unsure of myself?” She had once been decisive. She had opinions. She trusted her instincts. She could walk into a room without wondering whether everyone secretly disliked her. But after two years of being criticised, blamed, ignored, praised, confused and then criticised again, she had started questioning almost everything. Was she too sensitive? Had she overreacted? Was she difficult to love? Maybe he was right. Maybe she really was the problem. Even after the relationship ended, his voice seemed to continue inside her mind. That is one of the most painful effects of a psychologically unhealthy relationship: the person may leave, but the self-doubt can remain. If you are trying to rebuild self-worth after dating someone with strong narcissistic traits, you ma...