Emotional Manipulation

Awareness & Assessment Tool

What is Emotional Manipulation?

Emotional manipulation is when someone tries to control or influence you by exploiting your emotions, often making you feel guilty, confused, or responsible for their feelings and actions.

Common Manipulation Tactics

1. Gaslighting

Making you question your own reality, memory, or perceptions. Example: "That never happened, you're remembering it wrong."

2. Guilt-Tripping

Making you feel guilty for things that aren't your responsibility. Example: "After all I've done for you, this is how you treat me?"

3. Playing the Victim

Always positioning themselves as the victim to avoid accountability. Example: "Why does everyone always attack me?"

4. Love Bombing & Withdrawal

Overwhelming you with affection, then suddenly withdrawing it to keep you off-balance.

5. Silent Treatment

Refusing to communicate as a form of punishment or control.

6. Triangulation

Bringing a third person into the dynamic to make you feel insecure or jealous.

7. Moving the Goalposts

Constantly changing expectations so you can never meet them.

Warning Signs

  • You constantly second-guess yourself
  • You feel like you're walking on eggshells
  • You feel responsible for their emotions
  • You find yourself constantly apologizing
  • You feel confused or crazy after interactions
  • Your boundaries are regularly dismissed
  • You feel isolated from friends and family

Are You Experiencing Emotional Manipulation?

Answer the following questions honestly based on a specific relationship in your life.

1. Does this person make you doubt your own memory or perception of events?

2. Do you feel like you're constantly walking on eggshells around them?

3. Does this person use guilt to get what they want from you?

4. Do they dismiss or ignore your boundaries?

5. Do you find yourself constantly apologizing, even when you haven't done anything wrong?

6. Does this person refuse to take responsibility for their actions and blame you instead?

7. Do they use the silent treatment or withdraw affection as punishment?

8. Do you feel emotionally drained or exhausted after spending time with them?

9. Does this person minimize your feelings or tell you you're too sensitive?

10. Do you feel isolated from friends or family because of this relationship?