5 Surefire Signs You Are Being Gaslit

You've probably heard of gaslighting on several occasions, whether it is on social media or through someone who has experienced it before, but a few may actually know its meaning and how it happens to others. So, what is gaslighting?

 

Gaslighting is one of the many forms of emotional manipulation, where someone makes you question everything you’ve ever known like your reality, memories, or even perceptions. 

 

It’s often used by abusers, narcissists, and manipulators to gain control over another person, making the victim feel confused, anxious, and less confident in their own sanity, as if the incidents were only in their heads.

 

You may think it is not that serious, but many fall victim to gaslighting and it takes a huge toll on the abused, negatively impacting their lives and may cause serious mental issues. Feeling it has happened to you before? Then have a look at these signs that indicate you may have been gaslit.

 

Too many apologies

You may find yourself overly apologizing to the abuser without even realizing it, even if you were not at fault. You constantly say sorry even for small incidents that may not require any apologies in the first place.

 

Continuous self-doubt

You start doubting what’s real and what is not and wonder if you were actually mistaken or not and many more unanswered questions that will cloud your judgments, and eventually, you will not trust yourself enough. Sadly, some may resort to the gaslighter to help them make “right” decisions or “correct” their information.

 

You isolate yourself 

For the gaslighter to gain more control over you, they will start convincing you that maybe your friends don't care about you that much, so you suddenly cut off your friends and you'd rather stay with the abuser, influencing you into staying alone.

 

Constantly being blamed

The gaslighter consistently blames you for problems or issues, even those you didn't cause. You'll feel that it is your fault all the time even if you didn't do anything to initiate the problem thus feeling guilty for no reason.

 

Denying of reality

And because the abuser paints out that all the incidents you firmly believed happened as “all in your head”, you will start questioning your reality and get mixed up between true events and imaginary ones.

 

If you have faced one or more of these signs, then it is best to open up to a family member or a trusted friend and seek help from professionals to overcome and break free from this cycle of emotional abuse.