Written By: Shaloo Tiwari | Published : October 6, 2017 5:06 PM IST
Mostly in a romantic relationships this horrible form of abuse is a type of manipulation that has severe consequences. It makes the victim question their own memory, perception, and sanity. Yes! It may make you feel that you are insane. The self-doubt reaches a level which might take you away from reality. The abuser is persistently in denial, will misdirect/ misguide you to believe that you are at fault. The abuser will contradict and resort to lying to destabilize the target and delegitimize the target's belief. These gaslighting tactics are mostly used by Sociopaths and narcissists. However, gaslighting isn't only restricted in a romantic relationship, it may occur in parent-child relationships and other relationships too, even in your office.
Why does someone gaslight?
While digging into the concept more you'll realise that a lot of it is got to do with Narcissism. The ultimate goal of the abuser is to make their victim doubt their every choice and suspect their sanity which will also make them more dependent on the abuser.
Are you being gaslighted- how to know?
According to psychiatrist, Sanghanayak Meshram, the realisation that you are being gaslighted is the most difficult as most of the time the victim is unaware of the abuse. However, he laid down a few signs that you should watch out to make sure that you are not gaslighted by your partner, at work or anywhere for that matter:
