If you have encountered a narcissist in love, at work, or among family, then you surely have experienced the dreaded silent treatment, a tactic used by psychological abusers to hold power and control in their relationships.

A narcissist is an individual, male or female, who targets other people for sources of narcissistic supply or ego fuel to fill their empty psychological voids.

Most always, an extreme narcissist will engage in such emotional abuse tactics as gaslighting, hoovering, love-bombing, and silent treatment, among others.

In relationships with an extreme narcissist, the toxic partner, whether boss, lover, friend, or family member seeks to consistently be in control and in power.

When the narcissistic supply source i.e a supervisee, family member, lover, friend is providing “good supply,” or ego fuel, they are placating the whims of the narcissist, providing adulation, praise, attention, disgust, horror, or any type of reaction that makes the abuser appear to be powerful and important. 

The extreme narcissist’s ego is soothed when sources of ego fuel are behaving appropriately, in the narcissist’s mind.

The narcissist, however, becomes enraged if his/her uniqueness is in question.

Instead of taking constructive criticism, owning responsibility for his/her transgressions, and showing empathy for their ego supply source, the narcissist is incapable of compromise or any of the above healthy communication tools and instead lashes out at the mere suggestion of accommodating a healthy communication style.

The narcissist’s ego cannot tolerate the idea that his core identity is not so important to his ego fuel source, such that others would question his omnipotence and entitlement.

Therefore, the extreme narcissist feels threatened that their target is ceasing to provide adequate narcissistic supply.

The narcissist’s very existence is threatened on a psychological level, to the point that he fears complete annihilation of his central core identity. His ego is that fragile.

Most narcissists end up lonely in life.