What Is Guilt Tripping and How to Respond to It?

Think of guilt tripping as an emotional manipulation technique. In this technique, a person can make you feel guilty for something, even when you haven’t done something wrong.

You may start doubting yourself. You may start questioning the decisions you have made in life. Even you may feel responsible for someone else’s emotions or actions.

A person who is using guilt tripping tactic on you wants to control and manipulates you to do something.

Understand Guilt tripping

Let’s understand the guilt tripping using an example:

Imagine you have a close friend, let’s call her Manya. She knows how to use guilt tripping whenever required.

Now, you have made plans to go to a long-awaited action movie of your favorite hero with another group of friends.

The day of the movie show arrives. You are all dressed up and ready to enjoy the movie.

But just as you are about to leave, Manya calls you and gets to know that you are going to see the movie with other friends.”

After hearing it, she sounds utterly devastated. She says, “I can’t believe you are going to that movie without me. I have always considered you as my best friend, and you know how much I love that hero. I think I was wrong about us.”

After hearing her words, you feel sad from within. You hadn’t invited Manya because she had mentioned earlier that she had other plans and had shown no interest in the movie then.

Yet, she is blaming you and making you feel like you have broken her trust.

What happened here is that Manya used “emotional manipulation” by playing on your emotions. She wanted to make you feel responsible for her unhappiness.

You didn’t do anything wrong but Manya’s guilt tripping made you feel “guilty” for a decision that was perfectly reasonable. She was aware of your program and it was her decision to not go because of her other plans.

She wanted to “isolate” you from your other friends and manipulate you into changing your plans.

It’s crucial for you to recognize guilt tripping because it’s a tactic that can lead you to make decisions against your own interests.

How to Respond to Guilt tripping?

Now that you have learnt something about the guilt tripping, let’s look into some ways you can respond to it:

1. Stay Calm

When someone tries to guilt trip you, just stay calm. It’s the best thing you can do.

The person who is guilt tripping you wants to stir your emotions. But when you take a deep breath and stay calm, you prevent those emotions from clouding your judgement.

Don’t respond to guilt tripping with anger, defensiveness, or frustration, because it can escalate the situation.

Staying calm doesn’t mean suppressing your emotions or giving up to the guilt tripper’s demands. It means maintaining your composure so that you can handle the situation better.

2. Accept Your Feelings

If someone guilt trip you, it’s okay to feel guilty initially. Accept your feelings and tell yourself that you are feeling so because someone has said something.

After that, you need to assess whether there is a genuine reason to feel guilty. Tell yourself that feeling guilty doesn’t mean that you have done something wrong.

3. Set Boundaries

You should believe in your boundaries and firmly set them. Take some time to think about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior for you.

If someone tries to cross the line, state your boundaries clearly because ambiguity can lead to misunderstandings.

Stand by your choices and decisions because your values and boundaries are well aligned with them.

4. Communicate Openly

First, listen to a guilt tripper actively. Don’t interrupt them when they express their feelings and concerns.

When they have said their part, you can ask clarifying questions to understand their point of view. Encourage them to tell you why they feel the way they do.

After giving them a chance to speak, maintain your calm and express your perspective on the situation respectfully.

Make sure that when you are in an open conversation, avoid blaming or accusing them. You must focus on sharing your emotions and concerns instead of pointing fingers.

5. Focus on Finding Solutions

When you communicate with a guilt tripper, focus on finding a common ground. You can ask them open-ended questions to find a resolution that can work both for you.

You can offer them some constructive solutions that address their concerns but respect your boundaries too.

Encourage the guilt tripper to work with you on finding a solution and let them know how it will benefit both parties. This approach may motivate the guilt-tripper to cooperate with you.

There is a possibility that the guilt tripper may also be able to understand that their needs can be met without using manipulation.

Further, it’s crucial for you to stay calm and patient even if the guilt tripper becomes emotional or agitated. This way you can defuse tension and keep the focus on finding solutions.

6. Practice Self-compassion

When we face a challenging situation with a close friend or loved one, we treat them with kindness, love, understanding, or forgiveness.

You also deserve the same, so practice self-compassion.

The first step toward self-compassion is acknowledging your feelings and reactions. Don’t blame yourself because of a guilt tripper’s fault.

In guilt tripping, a person wants to manipulate your feelings. If you blame yourself, they are winning, not you.

Remember that you are a human, so don’t feel guilty when you commit some mistakes or want to stand for your boundaries.

Engage in activities like walking, meditation, or a favorite hobby that can help you relax and recharge.

Be more realistic about your expectations. You don’t need to be constantly available to others’ demands.

7. Seek Support or Get Consultation

Talk to a close friend or family member whom you can rely and seek their support.

Discuss your situation with them. Let them know how a person is guilt tripping you and how it is affecting you emotionally. They will support you and offer you advice based on their own experiences.

You can also consider consulting with a therapist or counselor if emotional support is not working. They can offer you professional guidance and let you know what methods to use in such situations.

8. Consider the Relationship

If you are facing recurring guilt tripping in a relationship, step back and evaluate the relationship. Ask yourself, “Is it healthy and mutually beneficial?”.

You may ignore one or two guilt tripping incidents. But if it is happening consistently, you should determine the overall health of the relationship.

You should assess the impact of guilt tripping on your well-being. Is it causing you significant stress, anxiety, or unhappiness consistently? If the answer is yes, your relationship is not uplifting you but draining you.

How about open communication? Do you meet with resistance and denial when you try to engage in open and respectful communication with the person? If yes, it is a red flag.

Furthermore, you can assess if there is respect for your boundaries in the relationship. If you are putting efforts into establishing boundaries and still being guilt tripped, it shows a lack of disrespect.

If nothing works and you are still facing consistent guilt tripping, seek professional help. And, if that also doesn’t work, it’s time to move on.

Final Thought

First and foremost, it is crucial to recognize guilt tripping whenever it happens.

Dealing with guilt tripping is challenging. Give priority to your emotional well-being and maintain healthy boundaries.

Remember that it is okay to stand up for yourself. So be kind on yourself. Communicate assertively without giving up to manipulation.

Inform your close friends and family members about what is happening in your life. If they give you any valuable suggestions and advice, implement them.

Communicate openly with the guilt tripper and work on solutions that work for both parties while maintaining your boundaries.

Seek out professional help if required.