5 Types Of Emotional Blackmail That Harm Your Health

There are many different ways people hurt others to get what they want. In this article we show you the 5 types of emotional blackmail.

Unfortunately, blackmail harms one person while benefiting another. Often this person does not hesitate to use various kinds of emotional blackmail to get his or her way.

It does not matter what risks this entails. If one person tends to behave like this, it hinders the other.

Remember that anyone can use emotional blackmail, be it a family member, your spouse, your child, a co-worker, a friend, and so on.

In this article we provide an overview of the various forms of emotional blackmail. You can encounter all these species in your life. They damage your health and happiness.

The 5 types of emotional blackmail

1. Blame someone else for something

This is one of the most commonly used, everyday types of emotional blackmail.
The manipulator makes it look like he or she is the victim. This is to arouse feelings of guilt in the other.

It may not seem logical, but this is what is happening. It is common for the blackmailer to pretend that he or she is punishing himself. It therefore appears as if the blackmailer is hurt and in pain. As a result, the people around him will feel bad and give him what they want.

This situation can occur anywhere:

• at work
• At home
• in your community
• between you and your partner

Your guilt causes stress and anxiety. It also affects your health, causing your resistance to deteriorate.

2. Gaslighting

Gaslighting is another common type of emotional blackmail that takes its name from the movie world.

This kind of blackmail aims to make a person doubt their own sanity. For example, someone is advised to see a psychologist.

This leaves the person weak and full of self-doubt. It’s the perfect scenario for the blackmailer to do whatever they want and take advantage of the other.

What makes this form of manipulation so dangerous is that it is difficult to recognize. This form is also often applied by someone from the close environment of the person in question. Often it even involves someone’s partner.

It is possible that the manipulator unconsciously applies this form of blackmail. Unfortunately, it can also be the case that he or she does this consciously.

Gaslighting makes you doubt your own image of reality. Suddenly you start to doubt everything. This is because you are bombarded with phrases such as:

• “It’s not my fault, you should have done this yourself”
• “I never said anything like that.”

Your judgment is questioned so much that you begin to doubt yourself. You become disoriented and frustrated and your mental health deteriorates as a result.

3. Wrap around the hot broth

This expression refers to people trying to avoid an obvious problem, as if it didn’t exist at all. It is said to “turn around the hot mess” when one waits for the meal (the “mush”) to cool, without addressing the problem directly.

Because the problem is not directly addressed, everyone involved experiences a lot of tension. As time goes on, the tension also rises.

So if you think there’s something that needs to be discussed, do it. Don’t let it rest, and don’t let the person you manipulate get away with it. Put an end to the situation yourself.

4. Overprotection

This is one of the most common situations in intimate relationships. But overprotection also occurs in parent-child relationships.

In this type of emotional blackmail, one of the people involved thinks he or she is the protector of the other. To some extent, this is natural behavior. But overprotection quickly creates a toxic situation that strongly influences you and makes you unhappy.

This kind of emotional blackmail is hard to spot at first. This is because someone who exhibits this behavior usually does so with good intentions. At least, supposedly. Over time, an unhealthy relationship naturally develops, in which one becomes emotionally dependent on the other.

At a certain point it even gets so bad that the victim no longer has control over his or her life choices. Ultimately, this person comes under the full influence of the other.

5. Need help

It is also common for one person to use his or her problems and needs to make the other feel guilty.

The person in question does this by making his or her needs loud and clear. This makes others feel bad and they will try to solve the other’s problems themselves.

This is a very subtle way of manipulating others.

What makes it so subtle is that the manipulator can really feel that he or she is the victim. As a result, they will stick to their positions. After all, it’s their way of getting attention and getting other people to take care of them. So these people are always looking for ways to be the ‘soul leg’.

The problem with this subtle form of emotional blackmail is that the manipulator acts as if it were a perfectly normal situation. As if it is the most natural thing in the world for someone else to solve their problems and fulfill their needs. Under no circumstances should you accept this form of mental violence.

As you can see, the different types of emotional blackmail manifest themselves in different ways. This differs per situation. So it’s up to you to recognize the different types of emotional blackmail and protect yourself from it. Remember: your health always comes first.