What is Gaslighting?

Gaslighting is a form of #psychological #manipulation in which a person or group causes someone to doubt their own perceptions, memories, or sanity.

This tactic is often used in abusive relationships by narcissists and can have devastating effects on the victim's mental health and sense of reality.

Narcissists use gas lighting to blame or confuse the victim.

Key tactics used in gaslighting include:

🚩#Denial: The gaslighter outright denies events or actions that have occurred, causing the victim to question their memory and perception.

🚩#Trivialisation: The gaslighter belittles or dismisses the victim’s feelings and concerns, making them feel insignificant or overly sensitive. The gaslighter may then use projection and call the victim insecure.

🚩#Countering: The gaslighter questions the victim's recollection of events, suggesting that their memory is faulty or that they are imagining things.

🚩#Withholding: The gaslighter pretends not to understand the victim’s concerns or refuses to listen, creating frustration and self-doubt in the victim.

🚩#Diverting: The gaslighter changes the subject or questions the victim's thoughts, leading them away from the truth and creating confusion.

🚩#Staging: The gaslighter manipulates the environment or fabricates information to make the victim doubt their reality.

The impact of gaslighting can be profound, leading to feelings of confusion, anxiety, depression, and a diminished sense of self-worth. Victims may become dependent on the gaslighter for their sense of reality, making it difficult to leave the abusive situation.

Recognising gaslighting involves being aware of these tactics and trusting your own perceptions and feelings. Seeking support from trusted friends, family, or mental health professionals can also help counteract the effects of gaslighting.

Abusive relationships which include gaslighting can lead to the victim having mental health issues for weeks, months or years after the relationship has ended. This can include depression, anxiety and trauma among others. You should seek medical or professional support to discuss your options about the help you can receive.

#Counselling / talking therapy and #coaching can both help the victim to recover from the abusive relationship and move forward independently. It's important to talk to someone if you feel the above is happening to you, or it has happened to you and you're struggling.

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I'm Aimee, a #MentalWellbeingCoach specialising in supporting females who are recovering from domestic abuse.

If the above is you and you need a non-judgemental and confidential chat,

drop me a DM

email me on: hello@ready-aim-succeed-coaching.co.uk

or Whatsapp me: 07587 010183

It's important to talk.

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