Smear Campaign| A Summary From Dealing With Toxic People

Smear Campaign

Summary From: The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide To Dealing With Toxic People

By Author, Shahida Arabi, MA; Forwarded By Andrea Schneider, LCSW

“Covert predators spread falsehoods to slander your reputation and degrade your credibility to others.  A smear campaign is a preemptive strike to sabotage you so that you won’t have a support network to fall back on, lest on decide to detach and cut ties with the toxic person.  They may gossip behind your back slander you to their or your loved ones; create stories that depict you as the abuser, while they play the victim, and claim that you engaged in the same behavior; that they are afraid you will accuse them of engaging in.  They can tell blatant lies, spread rumors, or faux-concerned ‘suggestions’ that call into doubt your sanity and character; they can even resort to manufacturing false evidence.  They will also methodically covertly, and deliberately provoke you so they can use your emotional reactions to the abuse as proof of your instability.” Citation:  Shahida Arabi, page 94

“This is a form of gaslighting designed to manage your image in the public eye to ensure that no one will believe you’re being abused.  When toxic types can’t control the way you see yourself, they start to control how others see you.  They play the martyr and victim while you’re labeled the toxic one.  Abuser work overtime to paint you as the abuser in order to escape accountability for their actions.  They may even stalk and harass you or the people you know as a way to supposedly ‘expose’ the truth about you.  This exposure acts as a way to hide their own abusive behavior, while projecting it onto you.” Citation: Shahida Arabi, Page 94-95

This occurs, when the narcissist has no power over you, when they cannot control you, or how you see yourself.  They would take great measures to destroying you, bringing you to their level.  They make you lose everything that you have worked hard for, by provoking you into anger; whereas, they will use that against you, if you were to respond. It is because your happiness, your success, and other blessings you have, offends them.  Therefore, they will do what can do to take all of that away from you.