What is gaslighting?
Gaslighting is a form of manipulation and abuse which can result in a person questioning reality. Being in a relationship with a person who gaslights you means being subject to severe abuse and toxicity. It is important to note that in the beginning of the relationship, both partners might be head over heels in love, happy, and content. The true colors of the abuser only begin to show once they have become comfortable and certain of their partner’s love and loyalty. If you think you might be subject to gaslighting, you most likely are.
There are 6 signs that you are a victim of gaslighting.
1. You feel confused.
Gaslighting can leave you questioning what is real and what is fiction. Abusers often lie and claim that things did not happen the way you think they did. This is because they twist reality in ways that will suit them and help prove you wrong.
2. You’re always the one who apologizes.
Even if you have not done anything wrong, you are made to feel guilty. Furthermore, you are often forced to apologize even when you are the one who points out an issue.
3. Your insecurities are always pointed out.
A loving partner will never make you feel bad about yourself. Instead, they will support you, encourage you, and point out your strengths. An abusive partner, on the other hand, will use your insecurities and weaknesses against you to make you feel inferior.
4. You’re told you are overreacting.
If your partner tells you that you are overreacting when they abuse you, it means that they do not care about the way you feel. What is worse, in doing so, they make you doubt and question yourself. These thoughts and feelings will slowly but surely harm your mental and emotional wellbeing.
5. Your partner never follows through
Often, when victims of abuse try to end a relationship, they will be persuaded into staying. Abusers achieve this by vowing to change and making promises. Taking this further, abusive partners not only know that they cannot keep the promises they have made but they also have no intentions of trying to.
6. You have no one else to confide in
Your friends and family worry about you because they know that your relationship is unhealthy. After numerous arguments, you have given up on confiding in them so as to avoid confrontation. Eventually, you grow distant from everybody and choose to suffer in silence.
If you can relate to these six points, you are a victim of gaslighting. Seek help and cut this toxic person out of your life before it is too late.
