Key Points

Highly sensitive and empathic people are particularly vulnerable to emotional abuse through emotional manipulation.

Highly sensitive people do not trust themselves and their intuition when something goes wrong.
Highly sensitive and empathic people may also attract narcissistic and controlling people into their lives.

Emotional manipulation is a form of psychological abuse that highly sensitive and empathic people are particularly vulnerable to. This form of manipulation makes the victim doubt themselves, their judgment, and their sensitivity. This means that, by default, those who are subjected to this form of psychological abuse are unable to defend themselves and resist.

Why are highly sensitive people more vulnerable to emotional manipulation?

There are many reasons why a highly sensitive person, HSP, is more vulnerable to emotional manipulation, but one of the most common reasons is that they tend to distrust their intuition and allow an unfair or abusive situation to continue for too long.

Because highly sensitive people are neurologically atypical and tend to see and feel things differently than others, they have been conditioned throughout their lives to feel like they are “overreacting” or acting in questionable ways. They have been trained to distrust themselves and what they are thinking and feeling. Even when they feel or sense that something is wrong, or that they are in an unbalanced relationship, they may not feel able to speak up for themselves. They simply tell themselves that they are imagining things and try to justify the abuser’s behavior.

In addition, highly sensitive people are more likely to overthink personal situations and take things personally. They are therefore more vulnerable to being deceived and manipulated by someone who uses emotional manipulation.

Narcissistic and controlling individuals are drawn to the sensitivities of highly sensitive people, which contributes to their vulnerability to emotional manipulation.

For highly sensitive people, psychological manipulation can be particularly damaging because it makes them question their sanity and reality, eroding their self-esteem and impacting their ability to thrive.

Common strategies that psychological manipulation practitioners use to exploit highly sensitive people

1. Denying blatant facts, such as what happened or what they said.
2. Convincing you that your experiences aren’t real or fabricated.
3. Dismissing or minimizing your thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
4. Making you feel stupid by pretending they don’t understand what you’re saying, or criticizing your language or facial expression.
5. Providing false information or withholding information. They may also spread rumors about you.
6. Changing the subject to distract from the truth.
7. Attributing their aggressive behaviors to you, such as asserting that they’re only criticizing you out of obligation or for your benefit.
   How a Highly Sensitive Person Can Recover from Manipulation
8. Learn to Believe in Yourself

As a highly sensitive person, your intuition is usually accurate because you pick up on a variety of signals around you at all times. But because your intuition doesn’t always match what’s on the surface, you tend to doubt it and give up on your gut. Unfortunately, this often leads to poor choices or even danger.

You constantly feel like you’re acting irrationally because of how others respond to what you say or feel. So, recovering from manipulation requires you to develop self-confidence and trust in what your body and emotions are trying to tell you.

Here are some tips on how to trust your instincts:

Pay attention to what you feel in your gut. Develop the ability to pay attention to the messages coming from your body as well as your emotions, not just your mind. Never dismiss something just because it seems unbearable or illogical. Even if some of your feelings are unpleasant, they are still trying to communicate with you. Your emotions are the language of your soul. Get to know them and learn to respect them.

Make time each day to relax. You may want to declutter your physical and digital spaces. This will allow you to listen to yourself instead of external input.

Make a list of your nourishment sources and also a list of what stresses you out. Take the best care of yourself. Your intuition will become sharper the more you engage in activities that nourish you.

2. Listen to your emotions

You can increase your self-confidence by learning how to manage your emotions. When you feel “off,” you are aware that something is wrong and are more likely to believe it and look at the external signs rather than dismissing them as “one of your mood swings.” This will make you less susceptible to manipulation in the future.

You might start by putting your feelings into words using an emotional wheel. You might keep a journal or practice intentionally discussing your feelings with someone. Naming your feelings will help you feel more in control.

You can learn to accept your feelings more fully and learn not to reject them, along with techniques like deep breathing and visualization. Your emotional resilience will increase as you work with your feelings instead of fighting them. Using acceptance and commitment therapy is an excellent strategy for teaching us how to do this.

3. Be assertive

Assertiveness is the ability to express your thoughts and feelings in a respectful way toward yourself and others. There are many strategies for increasing your assertiveness. One strategy is to practice saying no calmly and reassuringly. Another strategy is to express your demands and desires clearly, even if it’s just to yourself. You can practice using specific assertiveness and grounding strategies with someone you trust, such as a close friend, coach, or therapist. This is a broader topic, but you can find information online.

4. Self-compassion

Self-manipulation is emotional abuse that can seriously damage mental health. This experience can lead to you feeling like you’re responsible for everything that happens. Don’t blame yourself. Self-compassion is a skill that can be learned and takes work to master. The actions below can help you develop self-compassion:

Keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings. This can help you recognize any patterns of abuse and any self-blame or negative thoughts you may have. Then, make an effort to confront them compassionately.

Imagine yourself speaking as your best friend. Would you empathize with them or condemn them for their mistreatment?

Develop relationships with people who encourage you on the path to self-compassion and avoid those who undermine it.

5. Accept differences

Sensitive and passionate people are often misunderstood. They are seen as overly emotional or overly so, or difficult by choice. People who display these characteristics often feel like they have to apologize for who they are. They may believe that to fit in with society’s expectations, they must change. Not only is this wrong, but it’s also impossible to bend your innate qualities.

Sensitive and passionate people have a lot to offer the world. Neurodiversity comes in the form of great sensitivity. You are different from others, and this can make life difficult at times, but this is not a disease and should not be minimized or ignored. Being unique and believing that your idiosyncrasies make you exceptional is perfectly acceptable. There are many benefits to being highly sensitive. You may be more creative and empathetic than others, and you may be better able to understand the suffering of others. Use your talents as much as you can. For example, you might consider using your sensitivity to create something that brings value to you and others.

Summary

Manipulation is a harmful psychological tactic. It can make you feel unreasonable, unworthy, and like you’re constantly making mistakes. There are ways to recover from this trauma.

First, what happened to you wasn’t your fault; you were the victim of someone else’s abuse.

Second, accept what happened. This doesn’t mean allowing the abuse to continue or condoning it. However, what happened happened and it’s not healthy to deny it. You may want to give yourself the time and space to grieve everything else that the manipulative relationship took away from you.

The third and most important step is to discover how to appreciate all the positive aspects of having a high level of sensitivity. Even though you have a different perspective on the world, your experience is valid.

You can thrive if you create a supportive environment for yourself. Take time to care for yourself, and acknowledge your feelings. Finally, develop your creativity, identify your calling in life, and use your deep sensitivity and empathy to change the world.

If you can accomplish all of the above, you will develop a strong defense against being invalidated and manipulated by anyone. In the long run, you can protect yourself and stay on your path from healing to thriving.