High Conflict Personalities and How to Deal

We all have people with “high conflict personalities” (aka jerks) in our lives. They are the people we have to walk on eggshells around, the ones who are always instigating an argument or causing drama. So how should you deal with them? Do you have to cut them out of your life or just reconcile yourself to being at war forever? And what if one of these people is in a position of authority, like your boss? Join us as today’s guest, personal injury attorney Samantha Drum, teaches us how to recognize a high conflict personality and shares effective strategies for defusing and managing the situation. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- please visit the episode page. Samantha Drum is a high-conflict strategist and personal injury attorney with years of experience managing high-conflict people and situations, as well as coaching others to do the same. After facing several high-conflict personalities at the start of her career, she realized a harsh truth—law school did not prepare her for managing high-conflict behavior or extreme personalities. She decided to take the time to study high-conflict personalities to learn effective tools and strategies that she could use when she found herself in high-conflict situations. She learned how high-conflict personalities work, the way they think, and what causes them to go off. Then she learned to implement plans for managing the situation so she could minimize the damage they cause and maximize her control of the situation. Now she wants to empower other people with these same skills. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com.