Isolating from friends and family
What it is
Slowly cutting off or making it harder to reach the people who could help. Direct ("choose me or them") or subtle (engineering conflict with each close person until you end up alone).
Does this sound familiar?
"Your family always meddles."
"Your friends put ideas in your head."
Making a scene every time you try to go out, until you stop trying.
How it gets justified
“Your family always meddles — I just want it to be us.”
The people who know you register as a threat — not because they meddle, but because they can see what's happening. Cutting those bonds removes witnesses and exits.
“Your friends put ideas in your head.”
The "ideas" your friends put in your head are probably what they're noticing from outside. Losing those outside perspectives is the goal — your detection system has more information when they're around.
Related patterns
Something feels off but you can't name it?
An exercise to listen to what the body already knows.