Intimidation - Any form of veiled, hidden, indirect or non-verbal threat.
Description:
Intimidation is a form of passive aggressive threat in which the perpetrator hopes to avoid the risk of being challenged or made accountable for their behavior by veiling the threat in some way.
The veiled message is usually some variant of "I am stronger than you."
Examples:
Destruction or damage of an object which has some worth or significance to the victim.
Cruelty shown to a third party individual in the sight of the victim.
Self harm in the sight of the victim.
Threatening language directed away from the victim but in their hearing.
Being "extra nice" to the victim while physically demonstrating violent or mock-violent behavior.
What it feels like:
Intimidation is a form of threat and is designed to produce feelings of fear.
Learning To Cope:
The best approach to dealing with intimidation is to remove the audience and the victim and to recruit professional help to deal with the threatening behavior.
What NOT to Do:
Don't stay in the same room with a person who behaves in a threatening way.
Don't leave children vulnerable to violence.
Don't play down threatening behavior or fool yourself into thinking it doesn't hurt you or that you can deal with it.
Don't try to deal with intimidation alone.
What TO Do:
Quickly, calmly and without drama, leave the room, the house, the company of anyone who subjects you to intimidating behavior.
Call the police and report any acts of violence against you, property, animals or other people.
Get support and discuss your concerns with someone who cares about you and who understands personality disorders
For More Information & Support...
If you suspect you may have a family member or loved-one who suffers from a personality disorder, we encourage you to learn all you can and surround yourself with support as you learn how to cope.
Five years ago, a photographer, an engineer, a writer, an office manager, a grandmother, a graphic artist, a law student, a husband, a librarian, and a stained-glass artisan came together to connect a diverse, isolated population in search of information, support, and growth as they strive to cope with a family members, spouses or partners who suffer from a personality disorder. Since its launch on November 1, 2007, Out Of The FOG has grown from a fledgling discussion group with 10 participants, to a vibrant community of over 4000 registered members world-wide, with new members joining every day.
On August 31 2012, the Out of the FOG Support Forum crossed two significant milestones - 100,000 member posts and 10,000 topics. Thanks to all who participate and contribute to the OOTF support board, which is a unique source of support to non-personality-disordered individuals all over the world.
