GASLIGHTING – 6 EASY SIGNS TO IDENTIFY

Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify and what to do. Save yourself. Here is what you should do. You will be happy with that.

Mr. A. Hey, my friend, we had plans to go out to that show together yesterday. But I saw you there with someone else. While you told me that you would not be able to join me because you were not well.

Mr. Gaslighter: Well, I had some change of plans.

Mr. A: But why? We had done so much planning. It was so bad of you. 

Mr. Gaslighter: C’mon man it is not that much of a big deal. It’s a trivial matter.

Well Folks, we just read a perfect example of gaslighting. Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify

The Websters’ Dictionary has declared Gaslighting the word of the year 2022. It is the psychological manipulation of a person over a prolonged period.

It causes the victim to question the validity of their thoughts, perception of reality, or reality itself. Then it leaves them in a state of confusion or self-doubt. 

History

The history of the word ‘Gaslighting’ can be traced back to a stage show of 1938 named Gaslighting. It was late converted into a movie in 1942. In. this movie the husband tries to manipulate the mind of the wife by making her believe in things that never happened. He gaslights her into believing her reality. 

Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse. It can turn into severe psychological or physical abuse. 

Well, how can we identify whether it is gaslighting or not? Certain red flags can be identified, and we can understand that the situation is gaslighting. 

Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify & what to do. Let us learn.

Red Flags in Gaslighting. 

Withholding

Countering

Denial/Forgetting

Block/Diversion

Trivializing

Gaslighting – 6 Easy Signs to identify & what to do.

Gaslighting

Withholding.

Withholding is a situation when the abuser tries to portray that there is no time for the argument and there is no sense in making the victim understand anything. It is the start of the situation and the abuser tries to get away from the situation as soon as possible.

Countering.

In this, the abuser tries to deny the facts that the victim is trying to bring out. The abuser questions the memory of the victim and says that this never happened or you are making things up in their mind. This situation is the next stage of gaslighting. 

Denial/Forgetting.

Denial/Forgetting is the simple denial of facts, along with making them look insignificant the abuser tries to tell “What are you talking about? I don’t remember anything.” It is distorting reality. 

Block/Diversion.

In this situation, the abuser tries to block the social contact of the victim by playing with the mind of the victim. Suppose the victim finds solace or comfort in speaking with a friend.

So, in any conversation the abuser will bring out anything relevant and say that” That friend of yours is not good for you. I suppose you both spoke and that is why you are saying all these things”.

It also means to block or to divert to a created reality. To mend the victim’s mind to believe a more distorted reality. 

Trivializing.

The abuser tries to show that the matter is not that big to be discussed. The victim feels that he/she is very sensitive and their feelings are not that important. 

Blame Deflection.

The abuser tries to blame the victim for anything that happened. It is like a friend telling you that I wanted to come but you didn’t remind me.  So, the victim feels that it’s his/her fault. So this was about Gaslighting – 6 signs to identify & what to do.

What to do in a Gaslighting situation

Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify & what to do. What to do if you are in a gaslighting situation. 

Step 1.

The basic step is to identify that you are being gaslighted. In most cases, the victim comes to know very late that the situation is gaslighting. To identify look for blame or deception or lies in the usual conversations. 

Step 2.

Ensure your physical safety. This is how you can do that 

Speak with friends: Speak with your friends regularly so that if anything happens to you, they can trace back to the situation. 

Online Platforms: Take part in conversations on the online platform. Discuss your problem there and you will be able to navigate better. 

Form Groups: You may find your groups on the internet or in the neighborhood and talk with them about problems. 

Call Police: It can be done in case there is no escape route. 

Step 3.

Ensure Psychological safety. 

Journaling : In this, the victim writes about all the feelings that he/she has. It is important to realize what are the facts and to keep a track of the history of situations. Write about what your life would be without the abuser. Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify

Record of Conversations: Keep writing down all your arguments in a diary so that you can refer to them when required to know what the reality is. 

Step 4.

Be Defiant. The victim should be defiant about the lies. Just put across your point and get away. Simply cut off the conversation for that point in time. 

In Short Conversation: It will give time for the victim to get away and the abuser to think as to what is the reality.  

In Long Conversations: If prolong the conversation then the abuser will keep on trying to prove his/her point. 

Step 5.

Never get isolated. Be socially active. It will help you not to be dependent on the abuser for validation. You can simply ask your friend and relatives. Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify

Step 6.

Consult a psychologist. Since it is a personality trait to be a gaslighting abuser, so professional help will be required. Don’t hesitate to bring this to the notice of the psychologist.

So, these were the 6 steps to get out of a gaslighting situation. Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify

But can Gaslighting manifest as something severe? 

Dangers of Gaslighting.

Gaslighting can turn to:

Depression

PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Suicidal Tendency

Low Self Esteem 

Trust Issues. 

Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify & what to do.

Recommendations.

Gaslighting can be intentional and unintentional. It is very important to identify the situation to address it in correct way. Don’t hide anything. Be confident and open up. To live a stress-free life read our article on Stress Management.

It is also very important to bring out that we should not doubt ourself or the partner to be the victim or abuser anyone.

Gaslighting is a simple reflection of our society and our day to day conversations. The idea of this article is to make our readers aware about the Websters’ word of the year 2022. Gaslighting – 6 easy signs to identify

It is important to know what is Gaslighting. Know the symptoms before its too late. Identify the situation and save yourself. Tweet This

Leave a Comment