302: Gaslighting 101
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Episode Summary
In this episode, I’m talking about gaslighting, what it really is, what it can sound like, and how to know if it may be happening in your relationship.
Gaslighting is a word we hear often, but it is much more than someone disagreeing with us, challenging us, or seeing something differently. Gaslighting is intentional, manipulative, and designed to make someone question themselves, their reality, their memory, and even their sanity.
This kind of emotional abuse can happen in romantic relationships, especially with narcissistic partners, but it can also happen in friendships, family relationships, and with people who struggle with control, manipulation, or other unhealthy patterns.
In this episode, I share how gaslighting can slowly chip away at your self-confidence and self-trust. You may leave conversations feeling confused, unsettled, responsible for everything, or unsure of what really happened. Over time, this can make you feel disconnected from yourself and dependent on the other person’s version of reality.
I also walk through common tactics gaslighters use, signs that you may be in a relationship with a gaslighter, and what to do if this is happening to you.
This episode is a reminder that healing begins with reconnecting to yourself, rebuilding self-worth, and surrounding yourself with safe people who can help you come back to what is true.
Key Takeaways
Gaslighting is not simply disagreeing, questioning, or challenging someone. It is a form of emotional abuse
Gaslighting is intentional and manipulative, and it is designed to make you question your reality
Being gaslighted can leave you feeling confused, anxious, responsible, and disconnected from yourself
Gaslighting often happens in romantic relationships, but it can also happen in friendships and family relationships
Gaslighting can happen with narcissistic partners, but it can also come from people with control issues or other unhealthy patterns
A gaslighter may deny what happened, minimize your feelings, twist the story, blame you, or make you feel like you are the problem
One sign of gaslighting is consistently leaving conversations questioning your memory, perception, or sanity
Another sign is feeling like you need the other person to tell you what is real or true
Healing from gaslighting begins with rebuilding self-worth and reconnecting with your inner self
Safe support is essential when you are trying to find your way back to the truth of who you are
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that makes you question what you know to be true.
The term comes from a 1944 movie about a man who tries to make his wife believe she is going insane, and that is often what gaslighting feels like. It is confusing, destabilizing, and deeply painful.
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301: Narcissism 101: What It Is & How To Heal It
473: Are You Being Gaslit? Here’s How To Know For Sure
305: How To Build Healthy Relationships
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