How to Spot a Potential She-Devil/He-Devil

1) Your opinions -- Are they trying to change or convert you?

2) Your friends and family -- Is your social circle shrinking?

3) Consistency -- Are they changing their tune a little too often?

4) Sudden hostility -- Are they over-reacting to an issue that temporarily takes the control out of their hands?

5) Guilt -- Is your partner continually making you feel at fault?

Dr. Dorothy McCoy, author of The Manipulative Man advises taking the time to get to know your potential partner before even meeting for that first date.

"The first thing you want to do is probably want to talk to this person a little while on the Internet to learn something about him or her," she states.

She also advocates surrounding yourself with an objective support system.

"My support system is there to help me recognize what I don't want to see," says Dr. McCoy.

"So, I would share this information with my best friend or my sister or my brother or whoever it would happen to be. 'Take a look at these e-mails and tell me what you think -- what do you think about this person?'

"And almost every time, they're going to pick up something that we did not, because they're open-minded to it. They're willing to see it where we are not. And then, listen..."

But Dr. McCoy says even if you want to keep family and friends out of it, it's important that you find an objective third party.

"If there's a little nagging doubt -- and they're there, I guarantee it -- go talk to someone who is objective," she suggests. "If you don't have someone in your family, go talk to a therapist. Get an objective opinion from somebody because they will see the signs."