Some people are just confusing – one minute they are warm and loving, the next they are cold. You find yourself second-guessing everything you say, constantly wondering if you did something wrong.
If that sounds familiar, you might be dealing with someone who’s playing mind games with you. And let’s be honest, it’s exhausting. These games do not always seem loud or obvious. Sometimes, they are subtle and manipulative, leaving you questioning your reality.
But once you start spotting the signs, it gets easier to protect your peace. So, let’s break down a few of those signs you should never ignore.
1. They Say One Thing but Do Another
They tell you that they care about you, but their actions rarely match their words. One day, they shower you with attention, but the next, they act all distant and unavailable.
It’s like they are keeping you close enough not to leave but far enough to never feel secure.
This kind of mixed messaging is not harmless. It keeps you stuck in a cycle of hope and confusion (at the same time), always waiting for them to notice you and value your feelings – but they just leave you hanging, never making you feel safe or stable.
If someone’s words and actions constantly clash, believe what they do, not what they say.
2. They Make You Doubt Your Reality
You bring up something they said or did, and suddenly you are “too sensitive” or “remembering it wrong.”
Sound familiar? This is gaslighting – a classic mind game that makes you second-guess your own thoughts and feelings even when you know that you are not wrong for confronting them.
Over time, you start questioning your memory, your reactions, and even your sanity. But trust yourself. If something felt off, it probably was. Someone who cares for you would never twist reality to avoid accountability.
3. They Use Silence as a Weapon
When they don’t get their way or when you call them out, suddenly they go silent.
Not the healthy kind that gives space, but the kind that punishes. The cold shoulder, ignored texts, avoiding eye contact – it’s meant to make you feel anxious, small, and desperate for their attention again.
This emotional freeze-out is NOT maturity. It’s manipulation. Healthy communication does not include silent treatment as a punishment tool.
4. You’re Always Apologizing
Even when it’s not your fault, you are the one saying sorry for everything, even when the mistakes are not yours.
You start taking the blame just to keep the peace. You apologize for your feelings, your boundaries, your tone, and your timing. Slowly, you start disappearing in the relationship just to keep it intact.
If you constantly feel like you are the problem – STOP! Because you are not. It’s a tactic to keep you walking on eggshells and too distracted by guilt to notice that they are playing with your feelings.
5. They Disguise Control as “Care”
They say things like “I’m just looking out for you” or “I only said that because I care,” but it always comes with strings attached.
This is not how people care for you, especially when they claim to love you romantically or otherwise. It’s actually them and their manipulative ways so that they can influence your decisions and guilt you into doing things their way.
Know that love does not and should not feel like pressure. If their “concern” constantly makes you feel controlled or small, it’s time to see it for what it is.
Leave A Comment:
Have you ever dealt with someone who made you feel this way? Let me know in the comment section.
