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Emotional Abuse
Gaslighting
A pattern of manipulating someone into doubting their memory, perception, or reality.
Severity
✅Healthy end
Acknowledging different memories or perspectives and working to understand each other.
❌Unhealthy end
Persistently and deliberately undermining someone's confidence in their own perceptions to gain control.
Examples
'I never said that.' (when they clearly did)
'You're imagining things.'
'Everyone thinks you're crazy.'
Common Signs
Denies obvious facts
Rewrites history
Makes you question your memory
Blames you for everything
Discredits you to others
Often Confused With
MiscommunicationForgetfulnessDifferent perspectives
Educational Note
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that erodes self-trust over time. It usually involves a repeated pattern intended to undermine confidence in one's own perceptions. If persistent and controlling, it constitutes emotional abuse.
What You Can Do
- 1Trust your own memory and perceptions
- 2Write things down when they happen
- 3Talk to trusted people to reality-check
- 4Recognize the pattern and seek support