Do you have a problematic person in your life?

We’ve all had problematic people in our life that caused us problem after problem and it’s not fun and it can be incredibly stressful.

When you look at a problematic person, look at the wake they leave behind them. Look at the aftermath, it’s like a boat with a ripple effect. 

You can look at their life and see a trail of strained relationships behind them, whether that be friendships that have turned sour, bad romances or how they have handled work situations.

How you do anything is how you do everything. If you think it is OK to treat your parent badly, then you probably think that it is OK to treat the other people in your life poorly.

Problematic people have a pattern of bad relationships

They may have had many issues with a lot of their key relationships. My cousin had a supervisor who joined her company a year and a half ago. Since the new boss arrived, three people who have worked with her have gone on medical leave, and the rest of her reports resigned within the last four months. The data doesn’t lie… the boss clearly has issues.

Problematic people like to blame others for their troubles, and are quick to make it known that it’s not their fault. Don’t blindly accept the blame from a friendship, a bad boss or a bullying situation with a difficult person. Most likely, you are not at fault.

Have a look at a person’s past and see if there’s a pattern. When we are dealing with a problematic person we are only responsible for our part of it and how we respond.

Ten Traits of Problematic People

1. Problematic people are friends with someone one week and then falling out the next. They are constantly unfriending and refriending friends on Instagram.
   
2. They ask you not to to speak to someone that they had a falling out with. Just because they don’t like someone doesn’t mean that you have to have an issue with the person.
   
3. They cycle through their friendships quickly. It’s hard to keep up with their new best friend or boyfriend.
   
4. With problematic people It’s never their fault. Someone is always to blame and they are never accountable for their actions.
   
5. Problem people badmouth others behind their back even though they are nice to the person’s face.
   
6. They lead smear campaigns against other people to make them look bad.
   
7. They have a bad character and when things get stressful, their true personality is revealed.
   
8. Problematic people tell you how you should be living your life even though they don’t have the results that you want in your life.
   
9. They are dictators when you hang out with them. Problem folks have a my way or the highway approach.
   
10. Everything is a big deal and they major in minor things. They get angry over the smallest thing, and you feel like you are walking on egg shells constantly.

Shutting down a problematic person

If you have someone in your life who doesn’t respect boundaries there is a pretty good chance that you are going to have to say something to get them to stop saying inappropriate things to you.

Our free guide How to Sand up for Yourself the Easy Way can help you out.

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Do you have a tip for dealing with problematic people that you think others should know about? Leave it in the comments below.