You have probably heard of “Ghosting,” “Two-Timing,” and many other slang terms for the worst things that people do when it comes to dating. But now there is something new that people are talking about which includes a combination of some of the worst of the negative dating tropes – Spider Webbing.
Spider webbing is a new dating trend that combines four of the most toxic behaviors in relationships: love bombing, gaslighting, breadcrumbing, and therapy baiting. It is a dangerous and manipulative pattern of behavior that can leave victims feeling confused, isolated, and emotionally drained.
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Love bombing is when someone showers you with affection and attention early in a relationship, making you feel like you’ve found your soulmate. However, this is often just a way to gain your trust and control over you. Once the love bomber has you hooked, they may start to show their true colors, becoming cold, distant, or even abusive.
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which the abuser tries to make you doubt your own sanity and perception of reality. They may lie to you, deny things that happened, or make you feel like you’re overreacting. This can make it difficult to trust your own judgment and lead to feelings of isolation and self-doubt.
Breadcrumbing is when someone gives you just enough attention to keep you interested, but not enough to make a commitment. They may text you occasionally, make vague promises, or even cancel plans at the last minute. This can be very frustrating and confusing, and it can make you feel like you’re walking on eggshells around them.
Therapy baiting is when someone pretends to be interested in therapy or personal development in order to gain your trust and control over you. They may talk about their own therapy journey, share their thoughts on psychology, or even encourage you to start therapy yourself. However, their true goal is to use this information against you and manipulate you.
Spider webbing is a particularly dangerous form of manipulation because it combines all of these toxic behaviors into one. The perpetrator may love bomb you early on to gain your trust, then gaslight you and breadcrumb you to keep you off balance and insecure. They may also use therapy baiting to make you feel like you’re the one with the problem, and that you need to change in order to be loved and accepted.
So, why does a person engage in Spider Webbing?
Dr Sarah Bishop, Clinical Psychologist from Birmingham UK, told the Huffington Post, ″Reasons as to why someone chooses to do this are usually very deep-seated and include insecurity, fear of rejection or abandonment, narcissism or a sense of entitlement, past traumas or experiences, and a lack of empathy or emotional intelligence.″
The world of dating is already difficult and sometimes it can even be dangerous. And this was true even before the advent of Spider Webbing. So when it comes to entering into a relationship remember what the man said: “Let’s all be careful out there.”
