While surfing last week, I chanced upon an article:
Emotional blackmail are attempts to influence or control by manipulating emotions. Emotional blackmail often follows a cycle of :
Demands - Resistance - Pressure - Threats - Compliance - Repetition.
Emotional blackmailers use fear, obligation and guilt (FOG) in ensuring that the victim feels afraid to cross them, obligated to give them their way and feeling guilty if they don't.
• You feel dominated - your life feels controlled
• You feel intimidated by unreasonable demands
• You are attacked with words, laughter or threats
• You feel manipulated by guilt, fear or compassion
A blog chapter about how to deal with them was previously posted:
http://failuretopaycreditcard.blogspot.com/2008/12/labyrinth.html