Gaslighting is an insidious pattern of control. While it most often occurs in intimate relationships, it can occur in other contexts, including healthcare environments. In relationships with an unequal power dynamic; the person with more power is frequently the perpetrator. A recurring psychological manipulation, gaslighting can manifest as lying, discrediting, blaming, trivializing, withholding or diverting.
Source: VeryWellHealth, January 11, 2024. Link. Gaslighting works because it is subtle emotional abuse that happens gradually and overtime, erodes a person’s trust in their judgment and self-worth and causes them to question their actions, motivations, and even their sanity.
NOTE: The ways to respond are valuable in this article, such as:
- “I realize you feel strongly, but my feelings are valid too.”
- “I get that you were just joking, but what you said was hurtful.”
- “I find it really hard to listen when you talk to me like that.”