Psychology Facts

▼ Gaslighting ▼

As requested by one if you lovely ducklings

Leave me some ideas I haven't done plz I'm all out:(

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》Gaslighting is an abusive practice that causes someone to distrust themselves or to believe they have a mental illness.

》This may cause feelings of confusion or powerlessness.

》The term "gaslighting" comes from the 1944 movie Gaslight. In the movie, an abusive husband brightens and dims gas powered lights, then insists that his wife is hallucinating. This causes her to doubt her sanity.

》Almost anyone can be susceptible to gaslighting tactics, which have been deployed throughout history, and continue to be used today, by domestic abusers, dictators, narcissists, and cult leaders.

》The most effective gaslighters are often the hardest to detect; they may be better recognized by their victims' actions and mental state.

》Some examples of common gaslighting tactics include:

Countering: This tactic involves an abusive person questioning someone's memory of events, even though they have remembered them correctly.

Withholding: This describes someone who pretends not to understand something, or who refuses to listen.

Forgetting: This involves an abusive person pretending they have forgotten something, or denying that something happened.

Trivializing: This refers to an abusive person making someone's concerns or feelings seem unimportant or irrational.

Diverting: This technique occurs when an abusive person changes the subject, or focuses on the credibility of what someone is saying rather than the content. Some people also call it "blocking."

》Those who employ this tactic (gaslighting) often have a personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder and psychopathy chief among them.

》Gaslighting may lead to life long complications such as:

anxiety

depression

isolation

psychological trauma

》According to the Crown Prosecution Service in the United Kingdom, other elements of coercive control include:

monitoring someone's activities, mobile phone, or emails

controlling all of the finances

using insults and threats to scare another person

manipulating someone into unwanted sexual activity

》If you think you may be a victim of gaslighting, pay close attention to their actions, not their words.
Start keeping a record of what happens, what you are told and how the gaslighter reacts. 
Your records will help you keep your sanity.  They will also be key evidence if you need to explain what is happening to friends, family or professional help.

》According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, there are a few ways a person can collect proof:

Journaling: A person who suspects gaslighting can keep a journal in a secure location and record the date and time events occur.

Voice memos: Recording incidents with a cell phone or other device can help keep track. If a person's device is not safe to use, they can consider purchasing a separate voice recorder and concealing it somewhere safe.

Photographs: Taking photographs provides someone with visual proof. For example, they can take a picture of where they leave their keys so that they know if a partner is hiding them to make them late. If a cell phone is not safe, a person can purchase a disposable camera and hide it instead.

Email: If it is not safe for a person to keep proof of gaslighting in their home, they could ask a trusted friend or family member if they can store it. After gathering the proof, a person can send it via email and then delete it from their own devices.