Unmasking Emotional Manipulation in Relationships: Identifying Tactics and Taking Action.Part 1.

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An individual who manipulates people in a relationship does so by tricking others' minds and taking advantage of their emotions. In order to achieve their goals, they aim to acquire authority and control over others. Controlling someone else to achieve one's objectives is the aim of manipulation. It could entail a variety of actions, from overt to extremely covert..

Motives Behind the Behavior of Manipulators Typically, people use manipulation to acquire what they want, shield their egos, and escape accepting accountability for their deeds. If someone is skilled at manipulating you, they will take advantage of your weaknesses. The manipulator will keep trying if they are succeeding in acquiring what they want from you until you decide it is time to quit and take proactive steps to stop them. In particular, if you are dealing with someone who is habitually manipulative, this can be difficult, thus you are urged to look for assistance during this phase.

It may have begun quietly at first, making it challenging to identify manipulation in your personal connection. It's possible for your partner to start acting manipulatively on a regular basis. This article will teach you how to spot emotional manipulation in relationships and how to handle it when it occurs.

Emotional manipulation may be taking place if someone constantly drains your emotional reserves, causes you to feel nervous, afraid, or questions your own needs, desires, and feelings. When it comes to figuring out what is happening, trust your instincts.

What is manipulative behavior? It can include any or all of the following techniques:

1 . The gaslighting method.
Someone who gaslights you may tell you falsehoods, place the responsibility on you, downplay your emotions, and more. An individual who engages in gaslighting attempts to convince you that your emotions and sentiments are unreal or unworthy of expression. In an attempt to maintain control over your thoughts and actions and to refute any offense on their part, people use gaslighting. Take note of your feelings after spending time with someone if you think they are gaslighting you. There's a chance you'll feel lost, inadequate, dissatisfied with yourself, or untrustworthy.

2 . Aggressive-Passive Conduct.
A person who acts passive-aggressively doesn't communicate their true feelings; instead, they avoid doing so by employing indirect communication. Your spouse may intentionally ignore you or avoid talking about specific things. These are examples of avoidance tactics. Sarcasm is another example of communication that is passive-aggressive. To get attention, someone engaging in passive-aggressive behavior may, for instance, use extremely dramatic movements, such as sighing or pouting. Instead of telling you straight out what's wrong, they may try to trick you with immature emotional outbursts.

3 . Deception and assigning fault. Emotionally manipulative people usually don't accept accountability for their behavior. In an attempt to provide a more favorable image of oneself, they may outright lie or exaggerate. They may even assign the responsibility to you, causing you to question your own abilities and the truth of what transpired. Even while a lot of us speak "white deceit," or lies we believe to be harmless, someone who manipulates emotions will probably tell you lies in order to trick you.

4 . Coercion and Intimidation .
Someone who manipulates your emotions by threatening you or using physical force to make you do something is coercing you. For example, your partner may threaten to separate from you if you don't comply with their requests. Your spouse may make threats against you by claiming they would harm themselves. They are trying to convince you to do what they are seeking by threatening to damage yourself. Even if they might not have harmed themselves, self-harm should never be ignored.

5 . Discontinuation and Retention.
Your partner pulling away from you could also be an indication of emotional manipulation. If you are engaging in behavior that they find objectionable, they may give you the quiet treatment. If you do anything trivial, they may "punish" you by withholding data, love, or even sex from you. Until you comply with their requests or acknowledge responsibility for an undeserved mistake, they might not cease withdrawing or reserving. Aloneness If any of your loved ones show distaste or mistrust for the emotionally manipulative individual, their attempt to cut off communication with you may be made by someone who wants to dominate you.

Conversely, someone who manipulates emotions could attempt to use your friends and family as leverage for their personal gain. For example, your partner may attempt to persuade your relatives or friends to encourage you to stay with them if they know you intend to leave. To make you second-guess your decision to end the relationship, your spouse may attempt to distance you from your network of support.

They might have the want to dominate, control, or punish their spouse. They might be doing it for attention, sympathy, or other self-serving reasons. In an attempt to meet their own wants, they may also be attempting to manipulate or exhaust a partner. It is possible for someone who engages in manipulative conduct in relationships to have grown up in a dysfunctional home. To achieve their goals, people manipulate other people. Interpersonal dynamics, personality traits, a dysfunctional childhood, attachment problems, or certain mental health illnesses are some of the possible causes of this kind of conduct.