Emotional manipulation is a form of emotional blackmail or emotional abuse. This is why it shouldn’t be taken lightly. This type of manipulation usually occurs when someone tries to gain power over you and control every aspect of your life.
These people are very skilled when it comes to using deceptive sneaky methods to get what they want. In fact, they are masters at disguising their true intentions. This is what makes it hard to spot them.
But not all manipulation comes from evil, narcissist people who don’t care about anything else except themselves. Sometimes, emotional manipulation comes from the ones we love and who are decent people. This is the one of the reasons why it takes so much out of us to recognize and admit that we’re being manipulated.
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We care about these people and they care about us. How could we suspect them of such an ugly thing as manipulation?
If you are in a long and seemingly loving relationship and you feel angry or depressed for no apparent reason, you might begin to question your own sanity. Everything seems normal and healthy, so why aren’t you happy? Why are you experiencing all these negative emotions? What’s wrong with you? We prefer to think that the problem lies with us rather than believe they want to manipulate us.
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Nothing is wrong with you. Here is how you can tell if someone is trying to emotionally blackmail you.
1. They play the victim card
Always. These people will try to get what they want from you by playing this sick game. Whenever you are in an argument with them, they will pretend to be the victim. They will always make it about themselves and highlight the many ways you hurt them. This is how you end up apologizing for something they did.
2. They make you question your sanity
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This technique is also known as gaslighting and you’re probably already familiar with it. In this case, the manipulator will make you doubt your own instinct and choices. They will do whatever it takes to mess with you and your mind and create co-dependency.
3. They give you the silent treatment
Sometimes, your manipulator won’t reply your texts or calls. And that’s because they want to keep you waiting, thus gaining more control over you. This is yet another tricky game. Remember the power lies with you in the end.
4. They never take responsibility for their own actions
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A person who is trying to manipulate you don’t have the word “accountability” in their dictionary. This means they are masters at placing the blame on you. They will invent any excuse to justify themselves and hold you accountable for their missteps. That is completely wrong.
5. They are always criticizing you
This comes along with the deceiving package. It’s not emotional manipulation if they won’t put you down with every chance they get. These people will make you think you’re not worthy and constantly attack your self-esteem. That’s because they want you to need them. Remember that if they focus a lot on your flaws, they may actually just project their own insecurities.
6. They always seem to have it worse
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Whenever you talk about your problems, they will make sure to remind you how small they are in comparison with what they’re going through. They will even penalize you for daring to mention your tribulations when it’s clear how bad they are hurting. Never fall for this type of trick. It’s obvious they only care about themselves.
Stay away from these people, they are poisonous! Please share!
