Relationships / 1 min read
Understanding Gaslighting: Identifying the Signs in Your Relationship
How to recognise gaslighting patterns and protect your sense of reality, memory, and self-worth.
Recognising gaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that can leave you questioning your reality, memory, and self-worth.
Common features include denial of reality, where your partner constantly denies things you know happened; trivialising feelings, where your emotions are dismissed as overreactions; shifting blame, where you are made to feel at fault for their actions; withholding information, where they refuse to share important details or pretend not to understand you; and rewriting history, where they frequently change narratives and make you doubt your memory.
How to respond
Trust your instincts if something feels off. Keep a record of conversations and incidents so patterns are easier to see. Seek outside perspectives from trusted friends, family, or professionals. Focus on self-care and seek therapy if needed.
Recognising gaslighting is the first step towards reclaiming your power. You deserve a relationship built on trust, respect, and honesty.
Talk through relationship concerns
Therapy can help you make sense of confusing relational patterns and restore trust in your own experience.
