WE'VE all heard of gas lighting, love bombing and ghosting – but there's a new term relationship experts are warning you need to know about.
'Spider webbing' is the latest toxic behaviour found in dating and here's all the signs you need to look out for.
Emma Hathorn, in-house dating expert at luxury dating site Seeking, revealed it gets its name as it acts as ‘a web of deceit and manipulation that can trap victims in an unstable and toxic relationship.’
Thanks to it's many layers – it can be tricky to know if you are being spider webbed at the beginning – as it often starts with the same rollercoaster of emotions of a loving relationship.
Red flags to watch out for
But the first major red flag to be on the look out for is love bombing.
‘If someone showers you with excessive compliments, gifts, or declarations of love very early on in the relationship and then suddenly stops that attention – they may be manipulating you,’ Emma explained to Metro.
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While it's not unusual for people to put their best foot forward at the start of a relationship going form one extreme to another is.
The relationship expert said: "Be wary of individuals who are inconsistent in their behaviour and communication. They might be warm and affectionate one moment and then distant or aloof the next – this is a sign you might be subject to breadcrumbing."
Gaslighting is another sure fir sign you are being spider webbed she added.
Some might use this tactic to make you doubt your perception to maintain control over the relationship.
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Using therapy speak may also be used to give the manipulator a sense of credibility and make you feel in the wrong.
There could be a number of reasons someone uses these methods in a relationship such as having an avoidant attachment type, along with issues such as ‘insecurity, narcissism, past trauma, a desire for control or even a lack of relationship skills.’
But there are ways to bat off these kinds of people in the dating field.
"Raise your standards. And then, raise them again," says Emma.
"Educate yourself on manipulative tactics. Recognise these, take a strong stand against them, and do not compromise on that decision."
If you're already with someone who engages in these methods but it's unintentional it's time to sit down and have a talk.
If they don't want to meet in the middle – it might be a sign to leave.
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