Gaslighting: Does Your Friend Do These Things To You?

There are many benefits to having close friends in your life. Good friends can help you achieve your lifelong goals, stay focused through tough times, and even find the right employment. But some friendships might not be as great as you wish them to be, especially if someone you know gaslights you. Learn more about gaslighting and how to recognize it below.

What's Gaslighting?

Gaslighting is one of the most difficult forms of abuse to recognize or decipher today. People who gaslight (gaslighters) use this form of abuse to intentionally and unintentionally manipulate or gain control over the people in their lives, including their significant others, coworkers, and children. Gaslighters can make even the strongest people question their sanity, emotional health, and self-reliance.

Gaslighters use many tactics to manipulate you. In the beginning, the tactics may be small or insignificant. For example, a gaslighter might tell you something minor about their job or spouse. When you bring the subject up later, the gaslighter may deny that they ever said anything about it.

After a while, the gaslighting becomes serious. The gaslighter may say something nice about your appearance one day, then severely cut you down several days later. The comments, manipulation, and abuse may escalate until you question who you are as an individual.

If you experience severe gaslighting and need help overcoming it, reach out to a counselor.

How Do You Overcome Gaslighting?

Gaslighting isn't something you can beat on your own, especially if the gaslighter is a longtime friend or family member. If you want to save your friendship or relationship with the gaslighter, overcoming it can be even more disheartening. A counselor can help you recognize the signs of gaslighting and teach you how to handle it properly.

The most important thing to consider about your situation is safety. If gaslighting affected your health, you want to protect it now. A counselor can show you how to:

  • breathe and relax to ward off stress 
  • maintain your composure, which allows you to handle the gaslighter in a more adult and professional manner
  • reevaluate your relationship with the gaslighter

If the gaslighting is unintentional, you may be able to help the individual doing it stop. Some gaslighters don't even know that they're harming others until they seek counseling. If the individual doesn't wish to attend counseling with you, a counselor can help you eliminate or break free of the relationship.

If you need help with getting through an unhealthy friendship or relationship, seek gaslighting counseling today. 

For more information about gaslighting, contact a company like Supportiv.

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