It's understandable that you may have experienced challenges in your emotional connections after coming out of a 25-year narcissistic marriage. Such long-term and intense relationships can leave a lasting impact on a person's emotional well-being and ability to connect with others. Here are some possible reasons why you might have fallen out of love with a wonderful and amazing woman:
Emotional wounds from the past: Coming out of a narcissistic marriage can leave deep emotional wounds that may take time to heal fully. Unresolved emotional issues and trauma from the previous relationship can affect your ability to form a new and healthy emotional connection.
Emotional triggers: Experiencing a narcissistic relationship can leave you hypersensitive to certain behaviors or traits that remind you of your past partner. These emotional triggers might be affecting your perceptions and reactions in your current relationship.
Fear of vulnerability: After experiencing a toxic relationship, you might be afraid of opening up emotionally and being vulnerable again. Subconsciously, you may put up emotional walls to protect yourself from potential hurt.
Unconscious comparisons: You may unintentionally compare your current partner to your previous spouse, making it challenging for your new relationship to develop naturally and independently.
Self-protection: After a traumatic experience, your mind and emotions might be prioritizing self-protection. This can lead to avoiding emotional intimacy as a way to safeguard yourself from potential pain or manipulation.
Lack of emotional availability: Emotional exhaustion from your past marriage might have left you emotionally unavailable to fully invest in a new relationship, causing you to pull back emotionally.
Considering you haven't been to therapy yet, seeking professional counseling could be immensely beneficial for you. Therapy can help you address the unresolved emotional issues from your previous marriage, understand your emotional triggers, and learn healthy coping mechanisms. It can also assist you in building emotional resilience, fostering better communication skills, and enhancing your emotional intimacy in future relationships.
It's important to remember that healing from a long-term narcissistic marriage takes time, and it's okay to give yourself the space and support needed to work through your emotions. By seeking therapy, you can pave the way for healthier and more fulfilling relationships in the future.