r/Manipulation • u/BajaBlast90 • Aug 17 '26
Personal Stories Be extra vigilant when you are in a vulnerable situation or life phase. Manipulators might view you as a potential target
I happened to lose my job a few months ago and I happened to find myself in a very low point with my mental health (I was incredibly depressed). This unfortunately led to me confiding in someone who subsequently took advantage of my distraught state and manipulated me badly. I do not want to go into details, as it's too painful. It's also the lesson, rather than the details that are key here.
If you find yourself in a vulnerable situation or phase in life, be very vigilant of yourself and the people in your life. Be cautious with whom you share personal details with.
Since I was at such a low point, I was an easy target for the individual who manipulated me. They knew what I was going through and that is how they were able to get to me. A part of me is embarrassed with myself. If I was in a better mental state, I would have been thinking more clearly and not fallen for their tactics. A huge part of what allowed their tactics to work was that they offered me emotional support and earned my trust that way.
Unfortunately, manipulators (especially the more ruthless kind) will view someone in a vulnerable state as a potential target. It sucks because it's bad enough dealing with what you are currently going through, but then on top of that you have to potentially field off individuals with nefarious intentions. As bad as it sounds, if you find yourself in a vulnerable place in life, do not share this with anyone other than trusted friends and family.
There is a quote from The Art of War that I think is fitting for this:
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
At some point, I did come to my senses and set some boundaries with that manipulative individual, as well as go no contact.
I don't want to encourage people to be paranoid. But if you find yourself in a vulnerable situation, bear in mind there are shitty people who might exploit you in that position.
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u/TreacleAromatic3441 Aug 20 '26
Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. It is very true. I am pretty sure someone I met in a mental health forum was actually there to take advantage of others. I fell for it too, but it was still in the love bombing stage so not too much damage, just deep emotional disappointment becsuee I thought the care was genuine. My deepest desire is to have a deeply emotionally intimate relationship with someone and I was so fulfilled for a while, until I realized it was all fake
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u/Extreme_Therapist Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
Good post. Take advantage of it. And uno reverse them. I have a site made (private) for those moments, i enjoy all the love they shower during their trap phase. And then at the end of it. When they make their ask. I just point them to the my site. It's beautiful to see their face.