Narcissistic Withdrawal:

Narcissistic withdrawal is a conscious defensive response to the threat of narcissistic injury, where a person retreats from a relationship to avoid potential hurt or rejection. Withdrawal symptoms can resemble substance abuse withdrawal, including obsessive longing, emotional pain, and self-destructive behaviors after a relationship ends. Key aspects:

• Trigger: Perceived threat (relationship ending), leading to narcissistic injury (blow to self-esteem). 
• Ego-defense mechanism: To avoid risk of injury or rejection. 
• Symptoms: Obsessive longing (fixate on person they broke up with or job lost), emotional pain and distress, and self-destructive behavior. 
• Alternative behavior: Retreat into a comfort zone to avoid the risk of future emotional pain. 
• Narcissistic collapse: Including angry outbursts, irritability, and defensiveness.  
• Focus on supply: If a breakup, “heartbreak” is often less about loss of partner and more about loss of narcissistic supply (attention/admiration they received from them).