Yes, it is, and that coping skill has to be changed. In my husband's case, he had a horrible childhood and had huge abandonment issues. i get that, and I got that at the time but it didn't make it any easier. I'm a strong woman, but not that strong and at the time I wasn't nearly as able to set boundaries on that kind of behavior as I am now. He needed to learn better communication skills, and did through therapy. He no longer engages in that kind of emotional manipulation. Therapy helped him manage his emotions in a more healthy way, communicate his needs clearly without manipulation, and quite honestly, saved our marriage. So much negative talk about therapy around here, but I, my husband, my children, my family have benefitted greatly from therapy.