A person who emotionally blackmails you is usually someone who knows you very well. They know all your secrets and vulnerabilities and have become experts in taking advantage of them. And the reason is very simple: they want to make you give in to their wants.
Remember, their excuse for acting this way is because they love you and want to spend time with you. We want to alert you to 6 of the most common signs that someone is emotionally blackmailing you.
They Make A Serious Demand
The first step in emotional blackmail is a lawsuit made by someone close to you. Their demand may be subtle at first, but it will eventually get more aggressive once you don’t confirm right away.
They may say that they are just telling you to do something for love. But they really just want to control you and your actions.
You Might Resist To Meet Their Demand At First
When someone tells us what to do, we usually respond by saying “no” or by starting a deeper conversation. This is exactly how you might react when your dad tells you not to date a specific guy.
You do not understand why they ask you to do something like that and you are in conflict with them. This adds even more tension to the relationship since your father has no intention of backing down.
However, They’ll Keep Pressuring You
Fear, guilt, and a sense of obligation are three of the “weapons” they will use to keep pressuring you. They know how to push your buttons and they will do anything to be successful, no matter how much they hurt you.
They may try to blame you for something they did to themselves. They also won’t hesitate to say that they will take drastic action if you don’t do what they say.
Making Threats Isn’t Off The Table
If nothing else works, they may start threatening to hurt you or even themselves. If this is your boss, they may threaten to fire or demote you. They put all the pressure on you, so you are to blame for whatever harm they decide to do.
They create a fog of confusion in your head and make you feel responsible for the whole situation and whatever the outcome will be.
They Might Accuse You Of Something You Didn’t Do
This is another trick to make you feel like you’ve lost your partner’s trust and you have to try twice as hard to regain it. This is due to your own insecurity and fear of betraying them, because they may have been hurt in the past.
These tantrums come and go, and you feel like you’re doing something wrong. You start to assume that you are the culprit every time your partner creates a great scene.
They Create Big Dramatic Scenes In Public
Pathological jealousy is a big reason why your partner may start to be emotionally abusive. They don’t like it when you talk to other people, like when you walk into a restaurant and smile at the person who greets you.
They keep making a great dramatic scene about it, and you end up feeling guilty about pushing their buttons. You feel like a failure who keeps making the same mistakes despite knowing how much your partner is suffering.
Have you ever felt emotionally blackmailed by someone close to you, like your partner, your mother, or your best friend?
