A partner who desires spending some time together is just normal and clearly not what this is about, a partner who pushes someone to open eyes to toxic influences can be great, but this post is about partner induced isolation - This is a scarily common phenomenon that people need to keep their eyes open to.

Suggesting communication if you feel like you are being isolated misses the point that people who isolate partners will gaslight if put on the spot about it before continuing to further isolate. Furthermore, golden rule of couples counselling is do not participate in it if in an abusive or coercive relationship. A manipulative partner will agree to couples therapy and run rings round their victim.

Really this comment appears well intentioned but is much more misguided than it might appear to some folks. If a new partner is isolating anyone from friends and family then leave whilst you still have friends and family to support you because once you’re estranged leaving is 10000000 x more difficult and you don’t know what comes next.

This also holds for men, my dad is being isolated from friends/family by his new partner and it’s proving really difficult to get him to see what’s going on. It’s a script common relationship tactic, and it doesn’t have a gender.