What is Gaslighting & How to Respond to it

Imagine a situation in which mental health problems stem from or due to someone close to you!

- Simmerdeep Kaur

Imagine a situation in which mental health problems stem from or due to someone close to you! Gaslighting is referred to as “a form of psychological abuse in which the sufferer is presented with a false narrative of reality'. To put it another way, gaslighting is a type of manipulation where a person makes you question your sanity, the perception of reality and sometimes even memories. This form of abuse can be pretty tricky to detect since it develops gradually and may appear completely ordinary in the initial stages. The following article will explore the true nature of gaslighting as we dive into recognizing and responding to it appropriately.

Gaslighting Includes All This The following include some of the techniques a person may use to gaslight an individual:

Countering: Making someone question their memories by possibly saying things like, "Are you sure? You know you have a bad memory".

Stereotyping: Using negative stereotypes associated with gender, ethnicity, race, caste, sexuality, age or nationality to manipulate someone.

Denial: Pretending to forget the occurrence of events, denying one's own actions and words, or accusing the other person of lying.

Withholding: Refusing to engage in a conversation and pretending not to understand the other person to avoid responding

Diverting: Changing the focus of a conversation and questioning someone's credibility by saying, for instance, "that is just a crazy idea that your friends put in your head".

Trivializing: Belittling or disregarding someone's feelings by accusing them of overreacting or being too sensitive even if the other person has valid concerns.

Types of Gaslighting