Does family manipulation seem like a new thing? You might be surprised to learn that manipulation can come from anyone — be it, partners, moms, dads… even siblings.

Partner manipulation has become very common. Many people have managed to get away from this kind of abusive relationship. However, manipulation is pervasive in all types of relationships, except intimate ones. Many people say family manipulation is also a problem. Mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers are all prone to manipulating and abusing each other, and it can become a serious problem.

Family manipulation is the mental, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse that family members do toward each other. This type of abuse is generally used to control another person for various purposes.

Signs indicate an unhealthy relationship

Growing up with your own family can make it difficult to decipher any abusive treatment. Given the components of manipulation including “brainwashing,” it’s hard to know if you’ve been abused at all. Sometimes, you don’t realize how unhealthy a situation is until after you’ve left or left home.

Here are some warning signs that family manipulation is or has been a part of your life.

He lies

You will learn about family manipulation when it comes to lying. Family members, especially narcissists, will lie easily. When direct questions are met with ambiguous answers, this is an indication that manipulative lies are being told.

Liars will always be able to provide half-truths to convince you that they are honest and reliable people. When in fact, they are just fighting for what they want. A liar will always lie and tell more lies to cover up the old.

The silent treatment

Even family members will resort to the silent treatment. The closer you are to someone, the greater the chance that their narcissistic actions will display this type of behavior.

Silence is one of the weapons of choice for the manipulator because it gets the job done with little effort. For those unfamiliar with the tactics, the silent treatment can elicit pity and grumbling, which is exactly what a manipulator wants. They won.

Selfless Disguise

Truly selfless people are honorable. A manipulator can deceive you into thinking that they are also selfless, but in reality, they are not. They have a deeper motivation that includes rewarding themselves and making others think highly of their “extrinsic motives”—which are false.

While people are busy being proud of the manipulator, they also fall into the trap and help the manipulator win.

Mind manipulation

Dysfunctional families are notorious for gaslighting. Sometimes you may find an entire family constantly trying to convince each other that they are crazy. The sheer scale of insanity that exists in some families is almost unbelievable.

Gaslighting, in case you didn’t know, is the ability to convince another person they’re crazy while still getting the benefit of it. I bet you’ve seen sisters or brothers do this to each other. Honestly, this is so common, it almost seems like a normal aspect of the family unit.

intimidation

Family manipulation sometimes comes in the form of intimidation. Although they may not be direct threats, they can be intimidating enough to make you do whatever the manipulators want you to do. This is called “hidden” intimidation veiled in a form of kindness, and sometimes difficult to decipher.

Pay close attention to the words chosen by the manipulator, and these words will reveal their true intentions.

Guilt trips

The manipulator will use guilt trips regularly. If you tell them no, they will find a way to make you feel bad about putting your foot down. Sometimes if you ask a manipulator to lower the volume on their music, they will turn it off completely.

This tactic is used to make you feel bad about asking them to lighten something up and back by taking something completely away. This is also done to show that they have control, yet you still have to feel guilty. It’s strange, isn’t it?

chimin

If family members expose your weaknesses, they manipulate them. For example, if you have insecurities about your weight, the manipulator will make shaming comments about it. They intend to keep you under them to retain control. If they can retain control, they will feel better about themselves in turn.

After all, manipulators, truth be told, have low self-esteem by nature, and all their tactics are used to fix that.

Is your family manipulating you?

Let’s take this one step at a time. If you’ve always wondered if your family is a manipulator, you can use the warning signs to find out the truth.