What is Gaslighting

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that aims to undermine and damage the self-confidence and self-esteem of another person, causing them to begin to doubt their perception of reality. This can be done in a variety of ways, including persistently denying someone’s experiences, emotions, and thoughts, often distorting them and presenting them as unimportant or wrong. Gaslighting often goes hand in hand with other forms of emotional abuse, such as insults, threats, control, and isolation.

From a psychotherapist’s perspective, gaslighting can present a challenge in the therapeutic process, as a person who has been exposed to gaslighting may come to therapy with a damaged self-confidence and trust in their perceptions. The therapist must listen carefully to the client, verifying and validating the reality of their experiences and beliefs, while simultaneously combating the client’s internal beliefs that what they are experiencing is unimportant or wrong.

Gaslighting creates problems because the person experiencing it can become anxious, depressed, withdrawn or even paranoid. They may begin to doubt all their perceptions and thoughts, even basic truths about their experiences and feelings. This can lead to a loss of self-esteem, feelings of loneliness and isolation, and in some cases even a loss of contact with reality.

Gaslighting is usually used as a manipulative tool by people who have a controlling and powerful position in the relationship, such as narcissistic personalities, people with borderline disorder, psychopaths or sociopaths. They use gaslighting to maintain control over another person, manipulate their emotions and behavior, and avoid responsibility for their actions.

The main gain in gaslighting is power and control over the other person. The person doing the gaslighting usually has a need to dominate and manipulate others, and to avoid any responsibility for their actions. Gaslighting can be a very effective strategy for achieving these goals, because the victim loses confidence in their own judgment and abilities, and begins to rely on the opinions and instructions of another person, thus creating a dependency on them.

The gaslighting strategy is best studied in relationships, where it is often used to keep one partner in the relationship. The person who is gaslighting will often manipulate the emotions and perceptions of the other person in order to make them feel inadequate, inferior, and insecure. In such a state, the victim becomes more sensitive to the other person’s suggestions and proposals, and less able to resist or set boundaries.

To protect yourself from gaslighting, it is important to develop your own awareness of your emotions and thoughts, and learn to recognize when the other person is trying to manipulate your own perception of reality. It is also important to set clear boundaries in relationships and not tolerate emotional abuse.

Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that aims to undermine the other person’s self-confidence and self-esteem, creating a feeling of insecurity and dependence. People who use gaslighting as a manipulative strategy usually have a need for power and control over others, and are most often in a position where they have greater power or control over the other person. Therapists need to be aware of how gaslighting can undermine a client’s self-confidence and self-perception, and listen carefully to the client and reality check their experiences. It is important to develop your own awareness of your emotions and thoughts, and to set clear boundaries in relationships to protect yourself from gaslighting.