Identifying gaslighting behavior and knowing how to combat gaslighting are essential to maintaining your self-esteem, and mental and emotional health. Gaslighting is a form of narcissistic abuse that’s used not only by narcissists, but also by sociopaths, addicts, and other abusers. Sometimes it’s intentional, and sometimes it has become a habit to hide and maintain power.
Understanding Gaslighting
The term gaslighting comes from the movie Gaslight with Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in which the character played by Boyer slowly tries to make Bergman’s character think that she’s losing her mind in order to steal from her.
Gaslighting is not an occasional lie or denial. It’s a pattern of behavior calculated to make you trust the perpetrator, confuse you, and make you doubt your own perceptions, sanity, memory, or feelings. It’s based on the need for control or concealment – often of an affair or gambling, or financial information or losses.
You can recognize gaslighting by the 5 M’s:
- Methodical
- Malicious
- Manipulation
- Motive: to undermine your
- Mind
Identifying Gaslighting Behavior
There are three categories of gaslighting behavior. The first are statements that devalue you and demean your opinions, feelings, perceptions, or memory.
Demeaning Statements
Demeaning statements are intended to undermine your self-esteem and self-trust. Many abusers use manipulation and emotional abuse to …
As a therapist, I utilize a variety of techniques tailored to address different anxiety symptoms. While it’s difficult to choose a ...
If all went well this morning, you woke up, and if you're anything like me, the first stop was coffee! The ...
Happy New Year! It’s 2025! “New Year, New Me!” Sound familiar? Every year, millions of people embrace this mantra, dive into ...
Female narcissists can be harder to spot; first, because they’re less numerous, and second, because their behavior may be less assertive ...
Studies have shown that individuals who share their stories with empathic others experience lower levels of emotional distress, increased resilience, and ...
When reality doesn’t match our desires and childhood coping mechanisms fail us, life presents us with painful lessons that may lead ...
The term "addiction" often triggers a strong negative reaction in many people, leading them to shy away from associating themselves with ...
In childhood, I lost trust in my parents and traditional religion and have since struggled with understanding and embracing the complexities ...
In today's fast world, we often forget how sleep affects us. The link between sleep and stress is clear. Knowing this can change ...
We all get stressed during the holiday season. Most of us just deal with whatever is currently pressing on us without ...
They say it’s harder to find a partner after you’ve reached a certain age, and it’s true. There are a million ...
