Alcoholics and addicts continuously manipulate others, especially close friends and family. They are often on the side of dishonesty and delusion so they can feel the ease and comfort that comes with getting high.
The thoughts of shame and guilt that come with harming others are quickly supplanted with alcohol or drugs.
If anything gets in their way of getting high, addicts will do whatever it takes to remove the obstacle. Sometimes those obstacles are their family members trying to talk to them about their addiction.
But the manipulation tactics of someone with substance use disorder is one of their greatest defense mechanisms. The disease of addiction leads to manipulative behaviors.
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Delusional
The first thing is that addicts are living in a world of delusion. They think that their alcoholic or drug-addicted lives are normal. And if you see the circumstances they live with, it is anything but normal. They ignore everything from waking up dope sick or with the shakes from not drinking in the morning to nodding out while driving with their kids in the car. After some time, the alcoholic or addict cannot differentiate between the true from the false and they think their life is completely normal.
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is when someone disregards the other person’s feelings. Often when an addict is confronted by a family member, the addict will accuse the family of being too sensitive or overreacting. Even if the family has valid concerns, the addict can leave the family member thinking that they are the ones who are crazy.
Emotional Hostage Taking
Addicts use others’ emotions against them. For example, an addict might know that a loved one is fearful that the addict could die if they keep using. The addict will use this fear to get what he or she wants. Addicts sometimes tell their parents that if they don’t get money then they will end up on the streets, or some parents even let their adult children use in their house so they are not using it on the streets.
The Distraction Technique
Often addicts will create drama to distract from what is really going on. They will make a big issue to divert attention from their addictive behavior. Since they want to shift blame away from their substance abuse, they will manipulate the people confronting them by creating a distraction.
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We are here to help you through every aspect of recovery. Call our admissions team to find the best for long-term recovery.
