Unbalanced Friendships: How to Handle Manipulators

Friendship is about give and take, right? But do you find yourself in a friendship where you are always the one giving and never receiving? If there is an imbalance in self disclosure or you find yourself always “on call” for your friend, yet she is not there when you need her, you may be in a manipulative relationship. These friends have a way of making you feel good when you are there for them; however, this comes at a cost. To help restore some balance to the friendship, practice saying no and setting healthy boundaries. When this friend asks something of you, consider what they would be willing to do for you and use this to gauge your response. There is a healthy limit to what friends do for one another. Healthy relationships build mutual support over time.

Source: Degges-White, S. (2014, March 25). How to handle manipulators. Retrieved from www.pshychologytoday.com/blog/lifetime-connections/201403.