What is Gaslighting Emotional Abuse?

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What is Gaslighting Emotional Abuse?

What is gaslighting?

Gaslighting is a psychological manipulation tactic. It is a crazy-making form of emotional abuse. 

Gaslighting occurs when someone intentionally twists your perception of reality for their own gain.

That gain may be to:

  • win a fight,
  • cover-up their actions,
  • make you think something is true when it is not, or
  • make you think something is false when it is true, or
  • undermine your trust in yourself.  

    A quick look at Partner Abuse: A Concise Overview of Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, and the 5 Other Forms of Partner Abuse in Straight and LGBTQ Relationships

     

      

    Gaslighting meaning 

    Gaslighting definition: Gaslighting is a verb that dictionary.com defines as "to cause a person to doubt his or her sanity through the use of psychological manipulation."

     

    The origins of the term Gaslighting 

    Gaslight is a play by Patrick Hamilton set in the era when gas lamps lit homes and streets.

    The Gaslight movie starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman was adapted from the play in 1944.

    Gaslight movie. What is gaslighting meaning definition. Whats gaslighting.

     

    The term gaslighting, which refers to trying to make your partner feel crazy, was created based on the story’s depiction of a man trying to do just that.

    The male lead character sets up his wife, Paula, to slowly undermine her belief in her perceptions of things. He moves items from where she put them and then criticizes her for “losing” them. He creates the illusion that he is leaving the house every night, but doubles back to enter the attic so that he can search through her dead aunt’s things looking for valuable jewels. He accuses his wife of being delusional to explain the footsteps she hears in the attic and the dimming of the house gaslights caused by him turning on the attic lamp.

    "Suddenly, I'm beginning not to trust my memory at all."

    --Paula, in Gaslight

     

    Gaslighting is emotional abuse

    Gaslighting is one form of emotional abuse seen in abusive relationships.

    A gaslighting partner may try to convince you that:

    • what you saw, you didn’t see,

    • what you didn’t see, you saw,

    • what you said, you didn’t say,

    • what you didn’t say, you said,

    • what they said, they didn't say,

    • what they didn't say, they said,

    • what they did, they didn't do,

    • what they didn't do, they did,

    • what you heard, you didn’t hear, or

    • what you didn’t hear, was there for the hearing.

     

    What is gaslighting infographic. Definition of gaslighting. Gaslighting meaning. Whats gaslighting. Gaslighting in emotionally abusive relationships.

     

     

    Gaslighting undermines your sense of reality and trust in your perceptions, and it shuts down conversation about topics the manipulator wants to avoid. 

     

    For more on Gaslighting

    Check out my other blog post: Gaslighting Quotes

     

    For more on Partner Abuse

    For more information about all forms of Partner Abuse check out my books:

     

    A quick look at Spousal Abuse: A Concise Overview of Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, and the 5 Other Forms of Partner Abuse in Straight and LGBTQ Relationships A quick look at Abuse OF Men BY Women: A Concise Overview of Domestic Violence, Emotional Abuse, and the 5 Other Forms of Female on Male Spousal Abuse

    Abuse OF Men BY Women: It Happens, It Hurts, and It's Time to Get Real About It

     

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    • Ann Silvers
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