5 Signs of Emotionally Manipulative People

I grew up with parents who taught me to put everyone else first. It was my job to please other people

#2 is so relatable. You feel like the bad guy because they're the one's crying. Craziest part is when I remain strong and carefully select my words to be as communicative as possible without being filled with excess hurt words, they say that you're the one playing victim. Sometimes sorting things out feels like an impossibility, so videos like this can be comforting. Thanks!

Yes, please do a video on emotionally manipulative parents. The long term damage they can do can be devastating, and I'm sure a lot of us are still going through that as we age.

Videos like these always scares me. I don't really know if I'm the one being manipulative or if I'm being manipulated by others. It's so hard!!! 😣

Emotionally draining and controlling humans suck because they CHOOSE to be that way and it pisses me off.

I really would appreciate a video on reassessing relationships. It’s so easy to get stuck in a dynamic because “we’ve been friends for so many years,” but I recently had to step back from a few people and didn’t realize they weren’t good for me. I’d love a video on signs it’s time to reassess and what criteria to use

Yes please do a video on emotionally manipulative parents.

I'm a caregiver and this is why I had to split with my last client. Even if people have very real needs, emotional manipulation is toxic.

Please do something about emotionally manipulative parents. My dad was the worst a lot of these and I think I see some in my mom as well and am working on overcoming that so I don't continue to let myself fall victim to that in future relationships

The Victim role....., blame shifting, etc. --- It seems to me, that this behavior is often from people, who have a lot of CORE SHAME and cannot accept their own imperfections and/or have great difficulty accepting reality in life ..... People who behave like this are usually immature and many times suffered a significant trauma when they were young (maybe neglect).... However it is their responsibility to get take proper actions to try and fix, what is wrong.... (getting therapy).....

My parents are getting older and are not in good health. They manipulate me on a regular basis- especially my mom. I feel like she knows exactly what she is doing by always playing the victim- the "helpless little old lady". I love them and do feel bad that they seem to have one bad situation after another, and so I've done my best to help as much as I can when I am able. However, I'm not at a point in my life to take care of them, or to drop what I need to do in order to make sure they get their needs met. I'm working, and going back to college, and trying to better myself and my life. This past semester was a particularly tough one for me, and I got guilt tripped to the point that I would regularly have chest pain because I was not able to come to the rescue for them like I normally would. It really sucks once your eyes are opened to what is really going on. I never had a problem with helping them, but now I realize that it's EXPECTED of me, and if I'm not able to help, then I'm made to feel like I'm being neglectful or selfish. My mom doesn't seem to take my situation into account- it's like she only cares about what SHE'S going through. It's just so upsetting to realize that you need to set such strong boundaries with your own parents.

My stepmom was like this. Guilt tripping, crying for empathy and sympathy, gaslighting, and many other ways. I used to doubt myself because of it. But I think the thing I struggle with is limiting and restricting myself. Emotionally manipulation led me to restricting myself, downplaying my feelings, not liking myself for crying or feeling sensitive. Not allowing myself to do certain things that actually benefit me, but the world frowns upon it. Withholding love and affection from myself when I’m upset, crying or dysregulated. I have overcame self doubt, it’s conditional self love and restricting myself that I have to overcome.

I'm very happy that you added the "it's not necessarily them" at the endf of the video, and especially the five questions at the end made me interested in codependency a lot more than manipulative parents. I don't have a relationship and currently actively despise men, and I was about to comment "if a man ever approaches you with attention and affection, RUN" but now I'm contemplating that maybe it's because my unresolved traumas from my past relationships that somehow draw me towards more and more of these and refusing to date altogether isn't going to solve this problem...

I just had to cut someone out of my life who was narcissistic and a emotionally manipulating person

Yes! Please do video on emotionally manipulative parents and/or being around others/family that are emotionally manipulative without realizing it. I think you almost touched on it in the end, with how to tell if you are indeed being manipulated. I find with my mother, and even with open conversation on the topic at times, she doesn't realize some of what she does is in fact guilt tripping for example, or doesnt realize that is harmful. She has already lost (maybe not forever?) a relationship with one daughter, and I really want her to heal more (go back to therapy, not be as co dependent) but being the parentalized child, I want to guide her out of the many negative behaviors from her lofe history of trauma and coping behaviors for her untreated adhd and possibly autism (like me). It's a sticky situation for me, as we are close and I had a history of trauma growing up with her, but she is not as outwardly emotionally abusive as my father. Thanks ❤

Welp. Both good and bad news for me. Good news: I've really dodged quite a few bullets by now. Bad news: I used to exhibit some of these traits, up until I realized that I reaaaally screwed up more than a couple times, started thinking about how I could behave in another way to not cause any pain or harm. Still thinking. Some months in therapy by now. But videos like this one do help between sessions and well complement the meds I've been prescribed. Thank you, sincerely, for content like this. It does help people.

I have an emotionally manipulative parent. Every time I bring up a problem involving myself or my parent, I end up being laughed at, told I am taking things too seriously, and my feelings are trivialized. I would love to see a video delving into emotionally manipulative parents to better understand my situation.

Are toxic people, fake friends, energy vampires all psychologically damaged? It certainly helps to understand their behaviour when you think of them as unhealthy people who desperately need therapy. Unfortunately, it seems they're never the ones who get the therapy is it?

I was emotionally manipulated during my whole childhood, mostly by my mother. My maternal grandmother also is a real queen when it comes to that behaviour, so I guess I know where my mom learned it from. I've had all of the 5 tactics you explain in this video from young age on and from more than one family member (my mother holding the highest score) Took me years of therapy as a (very messed up) adult to 1. realize and 2. dare to speak it out Left me with a lot of insecurity about my own thoughts and feelings. Very hard to work on as it roots so deep. (Also side note: I love your blouse)

The gaslighting in my marriage I lost myself and I fear my own thoughts