“HOW TO IDENTIFY GASLIGHTING AND PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH”

LETS SEE HOW TO CHECK A GASLIGHTING ENVIRONMENT AND TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF.

*sign of gaslighting behavior.

1-Blatant Lies. You know the person is lying, often and with ease, yet they say they do not recognise this in their behaviour. …

2-Using What You Love Against You. …

3-Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that involves manipulating someone to doubt their reality.

4-A gaslighter will talk and talk to convince a person of their concern for them. However, their actions will not reflect the words.

5-The gaslighting continues methodically and continuously over a long period of time. The victim, over time, becomes a different person. Self-confidence disappears, and the victim becomes a shadow of their former self. Their reality and being becomes that of the abuser.

*let’s see tips to protect yourself from a gaslighting environment.

1-Take some space from the situation-It’s understandable and valid to experience a lot of strong emotions when experiencing gaslighting.However, try not to let them guide your immediate reaction. Remaining calm can help you handle the situation more effectively.You might want to deny what the person trying to gaslight you has said — after all, it’s completely untrue. But they may not back down, and your distress can encourage them to keep trying to manipulate you.To get some physical space, suggest taking a break and revisiting the topic later. Going for a walk or stepping outside briefly can help you clear your mind and refocus.If you can’t physically leave, try instead:breathing exercisesgrounding yourself with a photo, object, or visualization exerciseslowly counting to 10repeating an affirming mantra.

2-Focus on self-care-Taking care of your physical and emotional needs probably won’t do anything to directly address the gaslighting, but good self-care can still make a difference by improving your state of mind. A gaslighter may try to make you feel undeserving of self-care or label practices as lazy or indulgent. However, it is important to maintain self-care habits despite this.Worries about gaslighting and its potential impact on your job or relationships can creep into all areas of your life, making it tough to find any pleasure in even your favorite things.However, dedicating time to relaxation and wellness practices can improve your physical and mental health, helping you feel stronger and more capable of facing challenges in your daily life.

3-Seek professional support-Gaslighting can sometimes become serious, even abusive. This doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong — emotional abuse is often difficult to confront.Talking with a therapist is always a good first step. Directories like He galthline’s find a therapist tool can help you start your search for local counseling resources.

4-Hold on to what you know is true-In the face of lying, scrutinizing of your thinking, distorting the meaning of your words, twisting the truth, or blaming you—all aimed to misdirect you—determine what you believe to be the truth and hold firm to that within yourself. This helps to reduce the self-doubt and keep you grounded in the intent of the gaslighter’s behavior coming at you.

5-Don’t tell the gaslighter that they’re lying. If you wish to speak up, just state you have a different perspective and don’t agree. Or say that you recall what happened differently and that you trust your own recollection.

6-Approach the gaslighter with a concern directly– If the response is a defensive attack about you or about something completely different (to get you off-topic), state you can discuss their concern later, but for right now you need them to stay with your topic. Then restate your concern. If you experience a personal attack again or an attempt to change the subject, then state that if they are not willing to discuss your concern, you’ll need to end the conversation. If it happens again, make it known that you’re done talking and then separate yourself.

7-Give in to avoid the hard time from the gaslighter. It’s perfectly fine to choose this path but most importantly is to stay true to your own perception and be clear with yourself that you don’t agree and you’re choosing to avoid the hassle.