I remember learning in psychology a long time ago that displacement is when an individual has an issue, and tries to put that issue off on someone else. For example, a man or woman could be having issues at work and when they come home, they take it out on their significant other or blame them for some personal issues that they may be experiencing. Another example could be an individual who has low self-esteem, and blames a friend, family member, or significant other for the way that they feel about themselves.

When dealing with these individuals you have to be someone who is self-aware, or you will take on issues that are not your own, and you will accept blame for things that you have not done nor contributed to. In these instances, you can step away from the situation to that you do not become collateral damage or you can try to help them through being there for them and even connecting them with a therapist who can help them find the root cause of their issue and deal with it properly. You have to make sure that you are strong enough mentally and emotionally to be able to help someone like this, or your character could be altered because what you are taking on. If you decide to distance yourself for the sake of your sanity, peace, and health, that is perfectly fine—you must take care of yourself before you can begin to help anyone else.