What's the best way to deal with emotional blackmail from a partner?

Call their bluff. Get out of that game. Show them you aren't afraid. Take back your power. And if they are doing anything abusive or illegal, let them know you will go to the police. And then follow through. Because you deserve better.

If someone is emotionally blackmailing you, it sounds like you need to gradually cut that person out from your life. Talk to them about it, but if they're unwilling to recognise that such behaviour is manipulative, you're really better off without this person. Build a close knit of friends around you as your support system who will be able to back you up when your partner continuously threatens you.

Understanding how your manipulator is preying on your emotions to control your actions is the first step in regaining control. In their book "Emotional Blackmail," Susan Forward and Donna Frazier explain that manipulators often use a tactic consisting of fear, obligation and guilt (FOG) to get what they want. Blackmailers use FOG to make you fear angering or disappointing them, obligated to meet their demands, and guilty if you don't comply. They use these tactics to appeal to your emotions, make their demands seem reasonable, and make you seem selfish if you don't give them what they want. Next time you are resistant to your partner's requests and end up giving in, determine if he used FOG techniques to influence you. Try to use a perspective from someone outside of your relationship to shed light on the behaviors used. Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_4563114_recognize-handle-emotional-blackmail.html

Just tell them that what they are doing is not alright and you feel very uncomfortable with how they're acting. In my opinion, the best course of action would be to just get rid of them. You don't want a partner like that.

Emotional blackmail is a form of mental abuse, you have to confront them and ask a therapist for help, or the cycle will continue.

The best way is to leave them. Emotional blackmail is no joke. However I don't know how people gauge it. You can to infer if it's something small or if it's actual abuse. Knowing if they have other red flags will help you.

Consult the objective opinion of a friend who knows both you, and your partner, because when you are being emotionally blackmailed, it can be difficult to tell on your own. Your partner may have made you think of them as the victim, rather than the abuser. When calling out your partner on the emotional blackmail, your friend's assurance that you deserve better will strengthen your resolve; you can even bring your friend along for support, particularly if your partner is capable of, or even prone to, physical violence. Should the situation not improve thereafter, don't be afraid to leave the partner, but try not to embitter the person, and try to help the person understand they are in the wrong. They may even need professional help if this is a common problem in their relationships. Hopefully this will all keep your partner from hurting anyone else, including yourself.

You step back and compose yourself. Assess the situation. Seek help. Seek a way to end it. Make it stop. Stay Strong and positive. Fight the feeling.

If its happening with you than YOU should better show him/her that you dont care anymore and let that go. He/She can realize it with time that he/ she can no more take your feelings for granted.

Learn to say NO. Saying "I don't.." rather than "I can't..." can be more effective in preventing you from giving in. Establish boundaries; when your personal priorities become more important to you than pleasing other people, you will no longer fall prey to emotional manipulation. Value your own wants and needs and preferences. Set boundaries that don’t allow others to invalidate you, put you down, or ignore what is important to you.