Ever heard of the term “Gaslighting” and wondered what it actually means?
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which the abusers seeks to sow seeds of doubt in the victims mind and make them question their own memory, perception and sanity.
In the day and age we live in, gaslighting has become a common practice between people and the sad part is that even though there is a-lot of awareness regarding this concept, it is quite unusual to see people who are completely oblivious to it.
This type of abuse is often implemented on people to control them, make them feel weak and can be divided into four types:
- Scapegoating: Gaslighters often shift blame and create a narrative where they make the victim seem crazy and emotionally unbalanced.
- Coercion: This act includes making one feel guilty for spending time with friends and family with extreme humiliation, verbal abuse and guilting or manipulating you to do things you don’t want to.
- Manipulation: The worst of these types is where the gaslighter makes the victim question their reality and perception, making them feel like they are losing their mind.
- Trivialising and Lying: Abusers tend to make victims needs feel unimportant by deflecting or belittling them. They pretend to have a “memory loss” or deny facts when caught lying.
These are some traits you should look out for and the next time you come across a gaslighter, just remember to protect yourself and walk away.
Until next time.
