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“Gaslighting is a form of abuse – someone tries to tell you something didn’t happen when it did, or when a person tries to talk you out of something that actually happened. They deny reality in order to make you feel crazy, or as if you made it all up. Abusers use this tactic on their victims to escape accountability of their own actions.”
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. “Domestic violence, also called intimate partner violence (IPV), domestic abuse or relationship abuse) is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship.” ~ [definition taken from the National Domestic Violence Hotline website].
Gaslighting is one form of domestic violence.
I hadn’t known the term “gaslighting” until a year or two ago when an emotionally and verbally abused client taught it to me. I googled it and read about it. I was surprised that other clients had shared their experiences of it with me, but not the term. Someone attempts to alter your recollection of something that happened in an effort to get you questioning your memory and/or sanity. If they get you spinning around in circles and confusion, they believe you’ll never be able to hold them accountable for what they said or did. If this persists over time it can wear you down, causing you to doubt yourself and, in the extreme, to have a nervous breakdown.
If you are being physically, sexually, verbally or emotionally abused, reach out and get some help for yourself. In Connecticut, from a safe place, you can call 211, Infoline, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Also, in Connecticut, if you are not in a safe place, you can text 911. Don’t hang up and the police will locate you.
Peace, John
TOUCHPOINTS, from Personal Growth Concepts, Inc. 