Emotional blackmail has become a common behavioral trait in most people of our day and age. It makes victims feel vulnerable and accountable to those they are close to or to those they know well.
Relationships can either boost self-esteem or break it. Someone close to you can be a threat because they know your vulnerability and may use emotional blackmail against you to get what they want. Ultimately, as a victim, you give in to fear, obligation, and guilt. Thus, it is helpful to be able to identify the signs when someone is trying to emotionally blackmail you.
Warning signs for people who use emotional blackmail
We all know people in our lives who use emotional blackmail to get something they want. It could be anyone from your family or friends. Confronting him may not be the most pleasant experience.
But it is essential to remember, not to fall prey to their actions. With all the manipulative people out there, at some point in life you will experience these individuals. But with specific warning signs, you can avoid them.
Mostly, people who are insecure for some reason resort to emotional blackmail. They manipulate your decisions by reacting negatively to the choices you make. They often try to scare you into doing what they ask of you. This is a clear warning sign of emotional blackmail.
You will find them constantly trying to blame you or accuse you of doing something they don’t agree with. They will never hesitate to make you suffer in public or create drama to get you to cheer them up.
These are some of the signs to recognize people who use emotional blackmail. But we often miss these signs because these people can seem so charming that you can easily respond to their needs.
Emotional blackmail tactics
A person using emotional blackmail usually uses the tactic of fear, emotion, and guilt. They begin with a fury that baffles the victim and puts them in a state of fear. It makes the victim feel responsible. The manipulator cunningly uses the feelings and emotions of the victim to make them look wrong. They use feelings to distract themselves from the facts and make it an emotional mess instead.
Once they notice that you let your guard down, they accuse you of guilt. And if you don’t stand up for yourself, you fall for it. Even if you did nothing wrong, you end up with guilt and apology in the situation. Here are some types of characters that are commonly used.
Types of people who resort to emotional blackmail
Narcissists
Narcissistic people believe they are the best at everything and are proud of it. They tend to degrade people, and emotional blackmail is one of their common traits.
They undermine other people’s decision-making skills and always want to have the last word. To achieve this, they are ready to destroy those around them.
Loud and dramatic
We all know certain people who are loud and always looking for an opportunity to create drama. They create a big problem out of every little thing. From malicious comments to condescending remarks – they try everything to get their way.
Insecurity leads them to seek the approval of others. They emotionally blackmail their partners by making them feel guilty about their instability.
passive aggressive
This is another typical character who uses emotional blackmail as a strategy. Passive-aggressive people tend to express their hostility indirectly – through insults, stubbornness, or even deliberate failure.
Since they cannot communicate directly, they tend to use sarcasm and emotional manipulation as a defense mechanism.
Insecurity/low self-esteem
People with low self-esteem often develop the trait of emotional blackmail. They are unable to express their true feelings and therefore resort to using other methods of control.
They are trying to make you feel inadequate to avoid feeling worthless. They use emotional blackmail and try to lower your confidence. They blame others for their helplessness or insecurity and try to get attention when their self-esteem is violated.
Judgment/critics
You can’t talk about emotional blackmail without discussing people who lash out. These people use guilt and emotional blackmail to manipulate and control situations that are out of their hands.
Their intimidation goes so far that the victim begins to believe that they are leading them on the right path. They have a very condescending tone and try to undermine the person.
These are some of the types of people who use emotional blackmail to control the outcome. We all have some level of insecurities and we have our defense mechanisms, but as long as we have self-control, things won’t get out of hand.
In any situation, you need to notice and recognize any signs of emotional blackmailers or manipulative people, to avoid them and put an end to it. We have our own opinions that influence our choices. No level of emotional blackmail should be able to influence those choices.
