Source: https://www.highconflictinstitute.com/hci-articles/doubt-easily-manipulated

My ego can get the best of me. Like, full on, I’m right – you’re wrong, ego. Full on ‘Andrea, you are small, incapable and useless.’ It doesn’t happen often anymore and when it does happen, it passes quickly. THANK HEAVENS.

But you know where my ego still trips me up???

When a seed of doubt is planted. As soon as doubt creeps into my head, my ego takes over and has a tug of war with my sanity.

And once I fall into my doubt pattern? Watch. Out.

Doubt = easily manipulated.

And I hate, hate, hate being manipulated.

I didn’t end up with an HCP in my life because I’m dumb, or a victim or weak – I’m none of those things.

I ended up with an HCP in my life because I consider all angles before making a decision, because I’m sensitive to how my decisions affect those around me and because my ego likes to take over when doubt has been planted and say ‘See, I told you you didn’t know what was best.’

And once ego creeps in, the second guessing starts… and the hamster wheel of thinking, fixing, rationalizing speeds up… and we’re so exhausted by our thoughts and inability to better manage our personal life that not only do we fall into doubt but our confidence starts to take a kicking.

With one planted seed of doubt grows a garden of low self confidence leaving you ripe for manipulation.

And because ending up with an HCP is not something a smart, educated, (formerly) confident person (but presents as confident to the outside world) does – that person doesn’t seek help, instead they isolate themselves because they are embarrassed.

Embarrassed that they were manipulated. Embarrassed that ‘it happened to them. And terrified of what that all means.

Our ego’s thrive when we’re at our lowest. And we’re at our lowest when doubt has been planted.

Andrea LaRochelle is an author, trainer, and speaker with the High Conflict Institute and serves on the board of the Alberta Family Mediation Society. She is a high conflict co-parenting expert and a registered mediator with over fifteen years experience helping families through the challenges of separation and divorce. She teaches co-parenting communication and guides parents to manage conflict more effectively, so their kids can focus on being kids.

Andrea’s published books include: The High-Conflict Co-Parenting Survival Guide; I’m Done!: Take Control of Your High Conflict Divorce; and the Goodbye Bugs children's series (Goodbye Angry Bugs, Goodbye Teary Bugs, and Goodbye Worry Bugs).