Manipulation: “To control or play upon by artful, unfair, or insidious means especially to one’s own advantage. To change by artful or unfair means so as to serve one’s purpose.”
When putting this definition into action in a relationship, things can become very disruptive. To play upon the emotions of an individual that loves and cares about you is unfair and cruel. But if YOU are the one being manipulated, can you notice it? Here are 6 signs your partner is manipulating you:
- You find yourself emotionally volatile – One thing the manipulator enjoys more than anything is to guilt to you. When you’re made to feel guilty about something, you often find yourself feeling self-hate. Self-hate leads to emotional volatility.
- You’re finding your relationships with others are getting worse – You’re manipulating partner may have, without you even realizing it, pulled you away from people you love. Those friends you lost contact with are probably still ready and willing to be around you. Try reconnecting with people.
- You forget things you once enjoyed – The manipulator probably took you away from your favorite hobbies in the same way they took you away from people you love. When you leave them, suddenly you remember how much you enjoy chess and hiking and you fully understand you’ve left a manipulator.
- You never feel at peace – With a manipulator in your life, you never truly feel at peace with yourself and the world you live in. If you escape the manipulator, it may take time to find inner peace, but it will happen.
- You feel like you can’t trust anyone – It may take time, but your trust in others will be restored eventually.