"If you really loved me . . .
After all I've done for you . . .
How can you be so selfish . . ."
Do any of the above sound familiar? They're all examples of emotional blackmail, a powerful form of manipulation in which people close to us threaten to punish us for not doing what they want. Emotional blackmailers know how much we value our relationships with them. They know our vulnerabilities and our deepest secrets. They are our parents, our partners, our bosses and colleagues, our friends and our lovers. And no matter how much they care about us, they use this intimate knowledge to give themselves the pay-off they want: our compliance.
Susan Forward presents the anatomy of a relationship damaged by manipulation and gives readers an arsenal of tools to fight back. In her clear, non-nonsense style, she provides sound strategies for blackmail targets, including check-lists, practical scenarios and concrete communications techniques that will strengthen relationships and break the blackmail cycle for good.
