What to Do If You Are Stuck with a Manipulative Partner

Is his mind game hurting you?

Many people can be so blinded by love that they don’t realize how toxic their relationships are until it’s over.

They excuse or ignore their behavior because they don’t want to admit that their partner is an asshole.

Sometimes they manipulate you into staying through love bombing.

Men who are quick to compliment you on your physical beauty, looks, physique, body, youth, etc, employ this tactic called love bombing.

It is a manipulation tactic in which one person bombards the other with an unusually high frequency of flattering compliments about appearance.

A manipulative relationship can be tough to identify because psychological manipulation is often more subtle than other toxic relationships.

The manipulator creates a power imbalance to exploit the other.

But if you’re wondering why you feel like you’re never on the receiving end and always on the giving one, there are signs that can prove if your partner is manipulative or not.

Telltale signs your partner is a manipulator

When you begin to love yourself, you will be able to spot a manipulative or unhealthy person from a mile away.

You will know when someone is trying to con their way into getting something from you.

Sometimes manipulative people never learned how to respect boundaries when they were growing up.

These people will throw tantrums to get anything they want because their parents overindulge them.

Manipulative people are extremely insecure. When you say no to them, you are bruising their ego.

They act like children when you hurt their feelings because they never learned how to accept a “no” or how to process rejection.

They are very competitive. Life is like a game to them. What they care about is who has the power, who is in control, who is winning, and who is not.

They are not the type to rationalize or compromise in relationships.

It can be difficult to detect a manipulative partner because they so good at hiding their true self.

So in other to tell if your partner is manipulative or not, you have to watch how you feel around them.

If you often feel uncomfortable, hurt, or conflicted about what they said to you, then you should consider taking some time away from such a person to address your emotions better outside their interference.

How to break free from a manipulator

Manipulative people are one of the toughest personalities to deal with. They can use different tactics to keep you under their control.

And when you are not giving them what they want, they start bullying you, calling you names, and emotionally blackmailing you so you will feel guilty.

They will make you feel like the ungrateful one, so you doubt yourself — as if what you feel is wrong and that they are right to demand whatever they ask of you.

When you try to leave a manipulator, they will become aggressive, leading to serious psychological damage.

They do more harm when they are in contact with you. If you can stay away from this type of personality, please do.

But if we are being realistic, we can’t easily avoid these people. We meet them at work, home or community.

So how do you protect yourself from a manipulator?

Know what you want and how you feel

When you are connected to yourself and really love yourself, you will know whether or not what you are giving is good for you.

And when you give, you know it is coming from a healthy place. Not out of guilt or shame or manipulation.

You want to do something out of the kindness of your heart. You put yourselves first because you know your mental and physical health is just as important as theirs.

Learn about their tactics

Manipulators love to find ways to make you doubt yourself. Don’t allow them to blind you to the truth of what’s happening.

You need to learn who they are, how they operate, and tricks they use to get whatever they want from you.

Pay attention to where words don’t match up to actions and use the same tactics on them.

Understanding what they’re up to empowers you. It allows you to respond strategically, especially when they use covert aggressive behaviors to trap you.

Set the rules of engagement to your favor

Manipulators always sound as though they have your best interests at heart.

Sometimes they say one thing and then say they never said it. They are experts at explaining, justifying, and apologizing for everything.

Don’t buy into it. Seriously, be strong enough to know when it’s time to take better care of yourself.

Refuse to tolerate their behavior when you feel disrespected or abused. Set your boundaries. If possible, make a list of the values you can or cannot compromise.

Parting words

Getting away from manipulators can be excruciatingly difficult. But living with the toxicity of manipulations is deadly for health and well-being. Eventually, you will get frustrated and depressed.

You are allowed to walk away from anyone who abuses your goodwill and your love. They will never be happy, even if you are destroyed.

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