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Signs to look out for in others 

There are several ways that people may try to manipulate others, and they can often be hard to spot. Here are some behaviors to look out for in others that might indicate someone is manipulating you: 

Power, Control, and Manipulation Wheel

Here are some tactics that people may use to manipulate others in conspiracist movements:

Signs to look out for in yourself 

Conspiracy theory movements often employ several tactics to exert power and control over people to keep them invested. Asking yourself questions and reflecting on your beliefs and emotions may be a way to take your power back.

Do you feel too drained to go about your day? Do you feel withdrawn from people and disconnected from loved ones? 

If you answered yes, chances are you might be emotionally drained to the point it is affecting your daily life. The first step to getting past negative effects on your life, is to acknowledge that you are feeling that way. Next, identify how you are feeling and changes within your own behavior. Reflect on if this sounds like you: 

Symptoms of emotional exhaustion in yourself:

• You have low motivation, low energy, or fatigue
• You spend lots of time engaging with highly emotional content
• Your work performance is reduced
• You have low productivity
• You have changes in sleeping patterns
• You have headaches/muscle aches
• There are changes in your appetite or weight
• You have difficulty concentrating
• You have brain fog
• You feel forgetful
• You feel confusion
• You have memory loss
• You have a lack of imagination
• You feel mentally exhausted
• You feel irritability, frustration, anger, anxiety, guilt, stress, apathy, pessimism, and/or depression
• You have difficulty maintaining face-to-face social connections
• You become socially withdrawn and isolated
• You become socially anxious
• You have low self-esteem

If you find yourself constantly engaging with material, it might be time to check to see if it is an unhealthy obsession. 

Symptoms of obsessions in yourself: 

• You think about it all the time
• It prevents you from functioning or getting anything done
• You can’t control or limit your thoughts or behaviors related to it
• You feel guilty or distressed if you don’t complete it
• You get a short sense of satisfaction from it that goes away
• It interferes with your daily life and functioning
• You have difficulty concentrating
• You become socially withdrawn and isolated
• You neglect important parts of your life such as work, relationships, or self-care
• You lose your personal identity
• You feel emotionally exhausted

Conspiracy theories employ many tactics to keep people engaged. This can lead to manipulation techniques and toxic ways of keeping your attention. After looking at symptoms of manipulation in others listed above, here are symptoms being manipulated that you may recognize within yourself. 

Symptoms of manipulation in yourself: 

• You feel hopeless and/or powerless
• You become socially withdrawn and isolated
• You lose your personal identity
• You lose independence
• You feel emotionally exhausted
• You have increased emotional reactivity, irritability, frustration, anger, anxiety, guilt, stress, apathy, pessimism, and/or depression
• You have low motivation, low energy, or fatigue
• Your work performance is reduced
• You have changes in sleeping patterns
• You have headaches/muscle aches
• There are changes in your appetite and weight
• You have difficulty concentrating
• You have brain fog
• You feel forgetful
• You feel confusion
• You have memory loss
• You have a lack of imagination
• You feel mentally exhausted
• You have difficulty maintaining face-to-face social connections

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be time to reevaluate the place you want conspiracies to have in your life. Know that you are not alone. There is a way to more forward and take your life back.

The Great Escape: What to do now

If you found yourself resonating with several of the symptoms above, you are not alone. Here’s a guide on how to get out of this stuff, including resources for managing mental health effects and connecting with your local community. Additionally, please check out the Resources tab for more. 

Depending on how you are spending your time, if you are not aware of the time and how it is affecting you, it is easy to run dry on your emotional capacity. Here are ways to rejuvenate your emotional status:

How to deal with emotional exhaustion:

• Take the time to care for your physical, mental, and emotional health 
• Take a walk outside 
• Eat 3 balanced meals a day 
• Drink lots of water 
• Practice mindful meditation or journaling 
• Create healthy coping mechanisms for stress  
• Create healthy routines 
• Take time for yourself everyday to restore  
• Reach out for professional help

If you think you are experiencing an unhealthy obsession, it may be helpful to seek professional help from a mental health provider. They can help you understand the underlying causes of the obsession and develop strategies to manage and reduce its impact on your life.

How to deal with obsessions:

• The first step of dealing with obsessions is acknowledging it 
• Take responsibility  
• Set physical and mental boundaries to keep yourself away from it 
• Stop identifying with your obsession or thoughts – practice meditation and mindfulness 
• Practice compassion towards yourself  
• Focus on more important things in life and take your life back 

How to deal with manipulation:

• Distance yourself from your manipulator
• Get in contact with people outside of this relationship
• Set clear boundaries and leave your manipulator
• Remember: It is not your fault
• Give yourself time to grieve the lost part of your reality
• Give yourself compassion
• Give yourself time to process

Reconnect with your community:

• Support causes that matter to you locally
• Find ways to connect with the people around you and help others