Table of Contents show

woman giving emotional support to a man who has to deal with a difficult person — photo by **cottonbro** on **Pexels**

Finding Emotional Support to Deal with a Difficult Person

If you are struggling in a work, social, or family relationship with a difficult person, it might be time for you to find some emotional support. Dealing with difficult people is stressful and emotionally taxing. It’s hard to be able to step back to get perspective on how to best deal with the situation with any sort of clarity. Thankfully, there are ways to make the process a bit easier and more manageable.

Why does emotional support matter?

One method for anyone struggling with a difficult person is to find an emotional support system. This will help you through the process and give you an outlet and sounding board for your feelings. People often report that having a support system of someone who is empathetic or in the same situation can make dealing with difficult people a lot more manageable.

What is an emotional support system?

An emotional support system is simply a group of people that are in a similar position with one another. They can be people you know or don’t know.

Who are some people who can provide emotional support?

They can be family, friends, co-workers, a group, a professional counselor, or any combination of the options. It could be a group of family members or friends. It could be a group of friends from college or your work. It could be a community support group that deals with these types of issues. The best kind of support system will be made up of individuals who either have a commonality of experience or professional expertise in emotional support.

There are more and more digital communities dedicated to bringing people together virtually. As with anything else, be careful with what you share online about yourself, your identity, and the information of others. Here are some examples of online communities. We are in no way associated with them.

How do you find emotional support when you need it most?

You have the best chance of turning your current situation around by being around those who help uplift you and validate your sense of self-worth. Seek the advice of positive friends, individuals, or professionals. With their support, you will be able to move into a better headspace. Unfortunately, not all people are lucky enough to have someone to support them. In which case seeking the help of a professional counselor for advice or a community group are other options.

Examples of common relationship issues with difficult people

If you have been suffering in a relationship with a person who is negative, self-serving, and difficult overall, then you may be at the point where you can really use some emotional support. If you have children with this person then you may be close to your breaking point. Yes, an escape is possible, but the road is not an easy one to take.

Why do our emotional needs go unmet when dealing with a difficult person that we are stuck in a close interpersonal relationship? If it’s your nature to be very giving and accommodating in your intimate relationships, then a selfish and difficult person is likely to sense this about you. It starts with something like you letting them take the conversational front and center on your first date and only gets worse from there.

Next thing you know, they’re always the ones to decide where you both go and what you do on dates. Then they’re borrowing money all the time or getting upset for no reason and all sorts of fun things that difficult people do to get on our nerves and make us feel lesser. If the difficult person is a family member, then the dysfunction likely dates back to your early childhood which is about the time that your parents would have begun teaching you how to have healthy self-esteem if they were going to do that. So if you grew up in a household where mom’s temper tantrums always stole the show, then you are likely used to having little to no emotional support from others. And unfortunately, emotional support is exactly what you need if you ever want to cope with or escape from, dealing with a difficult individual who always makes everything about them.

Next: How To Stop A Difficult Person From Playing Head Games | Previous: Examples of Crazy-Making Behavior