Imagine this: You express a concern, only to be told you’re “too sensitive” or “imagining things.” You remember a hurtful event, but the other person insists it never happened. Over time, you begin to question your memory, your instincts, even your sanity. This is the insidious impact of gaslighting—a form of emotional abuse that can cause deep psychological trauma.

What Is Gaslighting?

Gaslighting is a manipulation tactic where someone causes you to doubt your own perception of reality. It often involves denial, deflection, minimization, or outright lies. It can happen in romantic relationships, families, workplaces—even in societal or cultural systems.

Examples of gaslighting might include:

 - “That never happened. You’re making it up.”

 - “You’re crazy. Everyone thinks so.”

 - “You’re too emotional. You always blow things out of proportion.”

The goal is control—subtle or overt. And the result? You feel confused, disoriented, anxious, and unsure of what’s real, causing you to question your judgment.

The Trauma of Gaslighting

Gaslighting isn’t just manipulation. When it’s ongoing, it becomes traumatic. Your nervous system begins to live in a constant state of vigilance and self-doubt. This emotional whiplash can erode your sense of identity and safety in relationships.

Here’s how gaslighting can affect you over time:

 - Loss of trust in your own judgment

 - Chronic self-doubt and anxiety

 - Hypervigilance in relationships

 - Isolation and shame

 - Cognitive dissonance—knowing something feels wrong but being told it's not

In some cases, gaslighting can lead to symptoms of complex PTSD—especially when it occurs in childhood or over a long period of time.

Why It’s So Hard to Name

One of the cruelest aspects of gaslighting is that it often leaves no visible scars. It can be so subtle that by the time you realize what’s happening, your sense of clarity has already been compromised.

You might feel like you are being "dramatic" or "too sensitive." You might second-guess whether you're overreacting. That’s the power of gaslighting—it trains you to abandon yourself. But you’re not overreacting. You’re responding to a deep rupture in safety and trust.

Healing from Gaslighting

Recovery begins with validating your experience. In therapy, we work to untangle the confusion, rebuild trust in your inner voice, and re-establish safety in your body and relationships.

Healing includes:

 - Naming the abuse for what it is

 - Processing the trauma through modalities like EMDR or parts work

 - Reclaiming your truth—even if others still deny it

 - Learning boundaries that protect you from further manipulation

 - Restoring self-trust and intuition

Therapy offers a space where you don’t have to prove your reality. You get to be believed.

You Are Not Alone

If you’ve been gaslighted—by a partner, parent, or even an entire system—your pain is real. The confusion you feel isn’t weakness; it’s a natural response to psychological manipulation.