Here is how falling in the trap of a gaslighter can make you question your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions
Have you ever been a victim of a gaslighter?
If the answer is yes, then you definitely know how painfully bewildering being gaslit is. It makes you doubt your instincts and question your feelings. It completely crushes your mental health.
Being manipulated by a skillful gaslighter makes your reality almost unbearable.
It gets you constantly feel incompetent, amateurish, or even insane. You stop believing your own emotions. You stop trusting your intuition. Horribly, this is enough to tear your whole world apart.
Oftentimes, people who are being gaslit choose to keep their hurtful experiences to themselves. They are simply not sure how the rest of the world would react to what happened to them. They don’t know if someone is going to believe them. While they are questioning their own reality, they are not even sure whether they have the right to complain.
Moreover, they are terribly afraid of being rejected or laughed at for the mistakes they’ve made to get themselves in such a baffling situation. Unfortunately, this fear makes them oppress their emotions, which rapidly damages their mental health. The horrifying experience of being gaslit makes them forget who they really are and how they truly deserve to be treated.
In case you were a victim of a gaslighter, here are some things you need to remind yourself of.
Firstly, you should know that you were manipulated into questioning your own self. All the lies they made you fall for were never accurate. They took advantage of your vulnerability, which makes them immoral, not you.
Secondly, they let you believe you were worthless and made you forgot who you truly are. This is on them, not on you. Your mistake was letting them too close to your fragile soul in the first place. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to let go of them. Indeed, this would be extremely challenging, but it’s absolutely necessary for you to heal from their toxic influence.
What’s more, you should never forget your emotions are valid. You have the right to be angry, grumpy, bitter, furious, confused, and disapproving. You are allowed to show your true nature, regardless of whom it may upset. No other human being gets to tell you you’re overreacting, or you’re being too emotional. There is no right way to handle such painful hardships, and you should know that. No one has the right to shame the way you’re expressing your feelings.
Another thing you should also remember is that you don’t need permission to be emotional or express your opinion. You are truly the master of your own faith, which gives you the power to decide for yourself. You can choose how to react to a certain situation, you can choose the people you surround yourself with, and you can choose the ones you need to cut out of your life. No one has that power over you. It’s all up to no one else but you.
When someone disrespects you and treats you poorly, you should always stand up for yourself.
You shouldn’t undermine your own voice. Instead, you should use it and let everyone know they cannot take advantage of your kindness. And even if your reaction upsets someone, you should always remain true to yourself. Being too careful with your words and faking politeness in order to avoid further confrontations will only deepen the trap you’ve got yourself into.
Most importantly, remember this: If you don’t want someone’s toxicity in your life, you are allowed to cut them off and move on. You’ve got only one life, so start living it the way you want to. Surround yourself with the people who bring value to your existence, not with the ones who make it miserable. Use your voice and let the ones who tried to mess up with your mind know that they will no longer manipulate you. Don’t waste time, do it right now. Your future self will be absolutely grateful and incredibly proud of you!