How narcissists use coercive control on you

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]One manipulation tactic that covert narcissists will use in particular is coercive control. Narcissists are obsessed with power and control. They want to control you and they will disguise that control as concern when it's not that. They'll make a horrific jab at your body and tell you that you need plastic surgery or that you need weight loss surgery and then say, "Well, it's just because I'm so concerned about you. I just want you to be the most healthy you could be." The reason why this is coercive control is because it's not coming from a good place. Yes, of course, there is a world in which you legitimately are concerned about the health of your partner. But in the case of a narcissist, they're doing it for superficial reasons and then future faking you. When you're in the relationship, you just think they're concerned for you, but over time you find the actions don't line up with the words.