One of our psychologists explains this question.
Manipulation is directly related to a person’s search for control over others; Thus, when we talk about a manipulative person, we refer to people who look for ways to alter situations to handle them at their convenience and not take responsibility for what they do.
People who exhibit manipulative behaviors use threats, emotional coercion, and guilt to achieve their goals.
It is important to know that It is not necessary to have a diagnosis related to a mental health condition to present behaviors of this type; However, it has been seen that in the case of some conditions, people are more likely to behave this way. Next, we are going to present some examples:
Personality disorders
The people who present especially those of type Btend to present behaviors of this type more frequently, since These disorders are closely related to difficulties in social relationships and emotional expressions.
Thus, it has been seen that people with diagnoses such as (BPD) or narcissistic personality (NPD) They may tend to present this type of behavior more frequently. In your case, Manipulation may be a strategy they use to satisfy their emotional needs or gain validation.
In the case of the people with BPDoften occurs, when They feel insecure or abandoned. In general, They develop this type of behavior as coping mechanisms in the face of social relationships that are not providing them with the satisfaction they require.
For its part, people with NPD They can also use manipulation as a strategy to maintain your close relationships or to achieve things you want.
Generally, people with BPD use emotional manipulationwhile people with TNP use strategies such as “” (make the other feel that they are imagining things), guilt and victimization.
Substance use disorders
It is important to start by saying that substance use changes the way the brain works, as it affects structures and chemicals that alter different brain systems; one of these is the reward system, since substances directly stimulate the area responsible for generating pleasure and motivation.
For this reason, critical life factors such as work responsibilities and family relationships take a backseat to substance use, leading them to do whatever it takes to consume. These effects combine to completely change a person’s priorities, causing them to lie and manipulate to maintain their addiction.
These are some examples of situations in which mental health problems can lead a person to exhibit manipulative behaviors; However, we must remember that It is not necessary for someone to have a diagnosis to behave like this.