It takes two people to participate in emotional blackmail: the blackmailer and the unsuspecting recipient. The blackmailer uses F.O.G to disorient and manipulate. The unsuspecting recipient takes the emotional blackmail bait and buys into the fear, obligation and guilt. The F.O.G
acronym is the disguise that is used upon someone to get what the emotional blackmailer wants. “F” is for using fear to manipulate. “O” is for obligation, and “G” is for guilt. Fear can be utilized to control someone’s behavior. The blackmailer may state that they will harm themselves if they are rejected or abandoned .Obligation is a clever trick where the blackmailer may try to get what they want by telling others: “after everything that I have done for you, how could you say no?” Guilt is the weapon utilized with the intent of hoping that the other person will feel guilty about their own decisions, and if the blackmailer is really successful, they may actually produce shame in the other person. The person then feels badly and complies with that the blackmailer is trying to accomplish. A blackmailer can be a friend, spouse, parent or co-worker. They are expert manipulators. Yet, the emotional blackmailer’s repertoire is only effective if there is someone willing to oblige. When someone suspects that they are being emotionally blackmailed, it is crucial to have a boundary check. Ask yourself: “Are my boundaries being infringed on? Am I changing my boundaries to please the blackmailer?" If you answer yes, then you know that you are a prime candidate for manipulation.Revisit the boundaries that you have for yourself, evaluate what has been infringed upon and reaffirm the importance of your boundaries. Once boundaries are intact, the blackmailer’s attack will no longer work. Susan Forward’s book, Emotional Blackmail: When the People in Your Life Use Fear, Obligation and Guilt toManipulate You, discusses emotional blackmail in detail and provides various examples of emotional blackmail in relationships. If you feel like you are in a relationship with someone who uses F.O.G as a way to manipulate you, seek out a therapist who has experience in this area and learn to establish healthy boundaries to protect yourself from the blackmailer’s intentional emotional manipulation. Ingela Edwards, MS, LPC-Intern, NCC, therapist at McKinney Counseling and Recovery, specializes in helping individuals and couples heal from sex addiction, infidelity, intimacy anorexia, and intimacy deprivation. McKinneyCounseling & Recovery serves the McKinney, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Dallas and Sherman area. Don’t Just Say Something, Stand There! - Using Talking and Listening Boundaries for Effective Communication.
Sometimes we get entangled in a battle of words. This is when we are busy yelling, screaming, shaming and hurling insults at another. This is not helpful because you are likely to get whatever you hurled, right back at you. We are then stuck in angry exchanges that are non-productive. You probably don’t even remember what the message was when the battle of words is over. You missed the opportunity of hearing another person’s reality and you miss out on being heard. If you are verbally attacked by another, just stand there. This allows you a time out to listen. Maybe you are not able to tolerate what is said to you and you are tempted to hurl back, then wait and stand there. I am not endorsing being passive or stuffing feelings. Allow people to say what they want to say. Listen to the words. Are you being verbally abused, emotionally abused or is someone sharing their reality with you? Are you experiencing feelings of anger because you cannot tolerate what is being said about you? Evaluate the data provided to you by the other person. Just listen to the facts. While you are standing there listening to the other person, do not plan your verbal defense. Listen, then evaluate. Pia Mellody developed an effective way of communicating and sharing ones reality where boundaries are in place: Listening Boundaries and Talking Boundaries. Listening Boundaries: Start out by evaluating the external boundary: Are you comfortable with the distance between you and the other person? Maybe you want to get closer or maybe you prefer to have a table or counter between yourself and the person that you are listening to? Remember to protect yourself by determining if the data shared by the other is “true”, “not true” or is it a boundary violation? You may want to ask questions about the information shared to determine if this is really about you, or is it about the other person? Talking Boundaries: In order to communicate effectively and be heard, you need to avoid the blame game. While speaking, utilize “I - messages.” The Talking Boundary is structured: You state an observable behavior. Secondly, you state a thought and lastly, you state how you felt about it. For example: When I saw you drive to the casino (observable behavior), I thought you were back into your gambling addiction (thoughts) and I felt afraid (emotion). I believe a “controlled” statement like that would be more effective than hurling an insult or using “you” statements. Unfortunately, this is not an easy and natural way for most people to communicate. Our emotions get triggered and we lose our sensible side at times. With practice, this is a more productive way of communicating. Practice and remember to breathe. To learn more about this technique and appropriate boundaries, I would recommend Pia Mellody’s The Intimacy Factor. There is practical advice on how to improve communication, set healthy boundaries and how to stop playing the blame game. Written by: Ingela Edwards, MS, LPC-Intern, National Certified Counselor, McKinney, TX. Supervised by: Debra Larsen, MS, LPC-S |
AuthorIngela Edwards, LPC, NCC, SRT, CCPS is an individual and marriage therapist Categories
All
Archives
July 2016
|
ServicesIndividual therapy
Marriage counseling EMDR ART- Accelerated Resolution Therapy |
Contact IngelaPhone: 214-551-0422
E-mail: [email protected] |