gaslighting
Sanity-eroding deception
Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation where someone makes another person question their own memory, perception, or sanity.
The manipulator denies events that happened, dismisses the victim's feelings, or insists their recollections are wrong: He kept gaslighting her about the argument until she wondered if it had even occurred.
The term comes from the 1944 film *Gaslight*, where a husband dims the gas lights while insisting his wife is imagining it.
Now widely applied to any sustained attempt to undermine someone's grip on reality.
One harmed by another
- survivorOne still alive after
- abuserOne who mistreats others
- traumaLasting psychological wound
- narcissistSelf-obsessed person
sociopath · isolation · exploitation · therapy · counseling · healing · boundaries · enabler
Refusal to accept reality
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- trivializingDiminishing perceived significance
- counteringActing in opposition
- divertingAgreeably attention-stealing
stonewalling · withholding · projecting · minimizing · discrediting
Persistent apprehensive distress
- depressionProlonged low state
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- guiltMoral self-reproach
insecurity · dependency · dissociation · PTSD
confusion
Mental disorientation or bewilderment
- disorientationLoss of spatial awareness
victim
One harmed by another
narcissist · sociopath · isolation · exploitation · therapy · counseling · healing · boundaries · enabler · scapegoat
denial
Refusal to accept reality
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- trivializingDiminishing perceived significance
- counteringActing in opposition
diverting · stonewalling · withholding · projecting · minimizing · discrediting
anxiety
Persistent apprehensive distress
- depressionProlonged low state
- hypervigilanceHeightened threat sensitivity
- shamePainful awareness of failure
guilt · insecurity · dependency · dissociation · PTSD
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- bad behaviorcheating, stealing, lying, greed, selfishness
- bad behaviorslying, cheating, stealing, rudeness, gossiping
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- dirty trickscheating, lying, deceit, trickery, deception
- hostile behaviorsattacking, bullying, fighting, harassing, hitting
gaslightingtruthfulness
Habit of not lying
candor · honesty · transparency · forthrightness · sincerity
gaslightingemotional support
Compassionate help during distress
nurturing · empowerment · encouragement · reassurance · caring
gaslightingvalidation
Confirming truth or accuracy
acknowledging · corroboration · confirming · bearing witness · listening
gaslight, gaseous, tear gas, gassing, biogas, gaslit, gaslights, gaslighted, gasser