What you’re classifying as them judging your “insanity” and “stupidity” is more than likely tangible concern for your physical safety and emotional health.

Those who don’t know much about narcissistic relationships usually see only the abusive actions of the narcissist. What they often overlook or don’t pay as much attention to is empathic dependency/addiction to the narcissist (which the narcissist has almost certainly sought, encouraged, and exploited).

Ask yourself this question. How is the narcissist helping, encouraging, and supporting you to be the healthiest, happiest, most independent person you can be? If the narcissist was doing this, you wouldn’t be focused on your friends’ reactions or your defensiveness toward their reactions. You’d be safe in, secure in, and delighted with your relationship, and that would come across to your friends. In short, the narcissist wouldn’t be a narcissist, they’d be a healthy and supportive individual your friends would be more than pleased with (unless of course your friends are abusive and/or narcissists themselves).

As an empath, you’re always going to care about other people, often at the expense of yourself. After (1) going true no contact with your narcissist and (2) learning how to establish healthy boundaries so others can’t exploit your caring nature, your friends’ concern for you should abate because they’ll see you taking care of yourself like a champion.

“An empath has the ability to sense and absorb other people’s pain and often takes it on as though it were their own. If an empath is not consciously aware of boundaries and does not understand how to protect themselves, they will very easily and very quickly bond with the narcissist in order to try to fix and repair any damage and attempt to eradicate all their pain.”

“… [An] empath should not be looking to blame anyone else. An empath has a choice, to remain the victim, a pawn in the narcissists game or to garner all strength they can muster and find a way out.”

“In an empath’s eyes, all they searched and looked for was someone to take care of and love and to ultimately fix. That is where the trouble began and that is the most profound part of this that an empath must realise.

We are not here to fix anyone. We cannot fix anyone. Everyone is responsible for and capable of fixing themselves, but only if they so choose to.”

Good luck.