Reply #17: "triangulating" is a term used in family systems therapy

[grasswire]

It means two people -- often of more than one generation -- aligning themselves against another family member. The object of their alignment then becomes what is called the "identified patient" -- the one who is deemed the dysfunction or sick one. Sometimes the identified person is an alcoholic. Sometimes he/she is just the one everyone dumps on. Sometimes the person is dysfunctional because they've been emotionally abused by family members who get some twisted reward out of putting him/her down.