Hoovering is a manipulation tactic in which a narcissist attempts to re-establish contact and pull someone back into a relationship after a period of distance, conflict, or discard — using whatever approach is most likely to work on that specific person, whether that's affection, guilt, crisis, or anger.

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which someone causes another person to question their own memory, perception, or judgment — typically by denying that events occurred, insisting the other person is remembering incorrectly, or reframing harmful behavior as the other person's fault or oversensitivity.

DARVO stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender — a manipulation tactic in which a person confronted about harmful behavior denies it happened, attacks the credibility or character of the person raising it, and then positions themselves as the real victim of the conversation.

Setting boundaries with a narcissistic parent works best when the boundary is short, specific, stated without justification, and followed by consistent action rather than further explanation.

Narcissistic abuse is difficult to recognize because it rarely involves a single, identifiable harmful event — instead, it relies on gradual escalation, intermittent reinforcement, and a trauma bond that keeps the targeted person hoping for the relationship's early version to return.

When a family member has narcissistic traits, the entire family system reorganizes around managing that person — their moods, their image, their needs — often at significant cost to every other member's emotional development and sense of self.

The term narcissism is frequently used in everyday conversation, often to describe someone who appears self-centered or overly focused on themselves. However, in psychology, narcissistic personality traits refer to a specific pattern of behaviors and interpersonal dynamics that can affect relationships, emotional functioning, and self-perception.