EXPERIENCES LEADING TO DIVORCE AMONG FEMALE VICTIMS WITH NARCISSISTIC PARTNERS

Abstract

The current research study investigated about the lived experiences of Pakistani divorced women who have survived the narcissistic partner abuse. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit eight women, four working (age) and four house-wives (age) with duration of their marriage ranging from 1.5 to 5 years. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted face to face, depending on participant’s preference in Urdu. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) research design was employed. Four major themes were obtained from the results as follows: Cycle of Abuse and Manipulation, Self-Blame and Cognitive Confusion, Social and Familial Pressure and Emotional and Psychological impact of narcissistic abuse. The current study has implications for the clinical settings, policy departments and legal settings to enhance awareness and develop therapeutic interventions and provide protection to victims with new policies.