There are many different forms of emotional abuse. Just as physical violence is dangerous and jeopardizes the health of the victim, likewise, mental abuse also puts the victim’s wellbeing in peril.
There are different ways in which people are abused, and one such example of emotional violence is gaslighting.
What is gaslighting?
Gaslighting refers to abuse that challenge’s the reality of the victim. They are manipulated into doubting their version of reality, and therefore they start to think of themselves as crazy. They then are perceived as thinking that they are the ones wronging their partner.
Such profound is the impact of gaslighting, that many people require assistance from an expert like a Psychologist in Lahore to get better.
Different ways of gaslighting
While in theory, it may seem like a difficult thing to do, but vulnerable people fall trap to the tips and tricks of the perpetrators. The heinousness of the act is why many countries have started counting it as a form of punishable offense.
Commonly employed ways of gaslighting include:
Create confusion
The entire purpose of the exercise of gaslighting is to confuse you to the point where you question your version of reality. This is not only their way of messing with your mind, but they also use your confusion to make you rely solely on them. Victims start to see the gaslighter as the only source of stability in their life. Victims then start to believe anything they say.
Disowning
Another common trick used against the victim is disowning one’s own words. This is a specialized form of lying, that focuses entirely on denying things that they ever said. Gaslighters attack the victim’s perception of reality any which way.
An innocuous example would be saying they will order food, and then get angry with you for not getting food, even though you said you will. In such sneaky ways, they then try to shift the blame on you.
Hypocritical conduct
There is also a dissonance between the words and actions of the gaslighters, after all, that is their agenda. On the surface, they appear to love you, but deep down, they are hurting you and deriving pleasure from it.
Lying
In order to discredit the victim’s version of the event, the gaslighter tells lies, and well, blatantly so. Naturally, telling the truth would get them nowhere. They may tell small and big lies, both, to try to gaslight you.
It may be something as mundane as putting the keys in the wrong place and then placing the blame on you. With these habits, they start to alter reality.
Patience
The game only works if they are subtle and patient about it. They erode at the confidence of their victim over a period of time. If done suddenly, the victim will obviously be able to call their game.
Instead, they wear the victim down little by little, so they become more vulnerable and easier prey.
Use important things against you
A sign of an emotional abuser is that they use what matters the most to you, against you. Naturally, to do more damage, they will hit you where it hurts the most. They store any private nougat of information you might have shared, or important people in your life to attack you. It also then shakes you at your core, which makes wearing you down easier.
Get immediate help
It is not easy breaking free from the sign of abuse, but you need to run when you see red flags. Our intuition is rather keen, but we tend to silence or disregard it. Therefore, when you suspect them even a tiny percent that they might be gaslighting you, run from the relationship. Breaking free from the shackles of the gaslighter will help you get perspective. However, some people might also need help of an expert like their Psychologist in Karachi
