crazymaking

English

Etymology

crazy +‎ making

Noun

crazymaking (uncountable)

  1. (popular psychology) A form of psychological attack on somebody by offering contradictory alternatives and criticizing the person for choosing either.
    • 1974, George Robert Bach, Herb Goldberg, Creative Aggression: The Art of Assertive Living, page 86:
      Crazymaking interactions can occur between parent and child, husband and wife, employer and employee, and among friends. Of course, the most lethal of such interactions are found within the context of the parent-child relationship […]
    • 2005, Loriann Hoff Oberlin, Surviving Separation and Divorce, page 1:
      If you're the one left behind, you might be thrust into a pattern of crazymaking, or you might find you're just coming out of one.
    • 2007, Michelle T. Johnson, Black Out, page 68:
      Learning the distinction between well placed concern and unfounded crazymaking is a life long lesson in developing good instincts and creating solid emotional boundaries.
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