Guilt Traps Can Snap Down On You Before You Know It
Expert advice to recognize and avoid them
I know. They’re called guilt trips, but for me, they’re more like traps than trips. You’re doing perfectly fine when the guilt trap slams down on you with no way out.
My mother was a master at setting them and snapping them shut. When it happened, it felt as if a harpy had launched itself out of mythology and dug its talons into my shoulder. I would freeze, silent with rage at her and myself for having fallen into her trap — again.
Have you ever felt this way?
Have you ever done this to someone?
Some people thrive on setting and springing guilt traps, but you don’t have to fall into one. Here is expert advice for recognizing them, avoiding them, and recovering if caught.
Guilt traps are a form of psychological manipulation
Guilt traps work because the person setting them is someone you care about or respect — a parent, sibling, lover, child, friend, boss, and so on. They leverage your respect and feelings for them as a way of luring you in, laying on the guilt, and getting you to do what they want.
Who enjoys being manipulated into doing something they don’t want to do? From…
