![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() “In simplest terms, gaslighting is the act of manipulating someone’s reality,” Dr. This can, in turn, lead the person who is being gaslit to question attributes about themselves, including their character, memory, and in more extreme cases, their sanity, says Robin Stern, PhD, author of The Gaslight Effect, and cofounder and associate director for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence in New Haven, Connecticut. This could look like confronting your partner about you feeling like they’ve been avoiding conversations with you, and instead of addressing your concerns, they leave you feeling that you’re not respecting your partner’s personal time.Īccording to the American Psychological Association (APA), gaslighting is a form of emotional and psychological manipulation that involves a person attempting to coerce another person into doubting their own accurate observations, perspectives, and reality. Or, you know that someone manipulated you into agreeing with them. They apologize, but then begin defending themselves and suggest that you misunderstood them or you’re being overly sensitive. You walk away from a conversation feeling that something about the interaction seemed disingenuous and did not sit well with you.įor example, you respectfully and privately share with your supervisor that you felt like they took credit for your work during a team meeting. Here’s what you should know about what the word means, how to recognize when it’s happening to you or someone you know, and how to handle the situation if someone is gaslighting you or someone you care about. The word “gaslighting” was selected as Merriam Webster’s word of the year for 2022. More recently the term “gaslighting” comes up in conversations around various forms of subtle trauma and manipulation. Though psychologists and other mental health professionals are now studying and talking about the term in academic and clinical settings, researchers have acknowledged that the word itself comes from the 1938 play titled Gas Light, which in 1944 was made into the British film Gaslight, about a husband who attempts to make his wife go crazy by insisting she is hallucinating and imagining things. “Gaslighting is finally getting the much-needed attention that it deserves in terms of awareness as a legitimate form of abuse that can lead to severe mental health concerns.” And mental health experts say it’s a psychological phenomenon that can have serious emotional implications and even destroy relationships.Īwareness of what it is and when it’s happening is really important, says Barbara Shabazz, PsyD, a Virginia Beach, Virginia–based clinical psychologist and owner of Intentional Activities, a motivational counseling private practice. “Gaslighting” is more than just a trendy buzzword. ![]()
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