Top Five Scenarios that Could Mean Someone is Gaslighting You

Top Five Scenarios that Could Mean Someone is Gaslighting You

So someone told me that the word of the year for 2022 is- GASLIGHTING. I actually don’t know what it means- only that it’s a negative word- and that it has been made popular by people who have experienced a bad break-up and who are all over social media telling the whole world about it. What’s interesting is that Merriam-Webster says searches for the word gaslighting increased 1,740% this year. Other top words and terms from 2022 include “cancel culture,” “Omicron,” “LGBTQIA” and “Queen Consort.” Last year’s word of the year was “vaccine.”

Newport Institute defines gaslighting as a form of manipulation where the manipulator tries to make their victim believe what’s happening to them isn’t actually happening and their reality is untrue. The word’s origin comes from the 1938 play “Angel Street, which Alfred Hitchcock turned into the 1944 film “Gaslight”. The story follows a man convincing his wife she is going crazy so he can steal from her. When he turns on the lights in the attic to look for his wife’s jewels, the gas light downstairs starts to dim. He, then, tells his wife it’s all in her imagination, getting her to believe the lights were not dimming.

So how do you know that what’s being done to you by a friend, lover or family member, is indeed gaslighting? Here are Today’s Top Five Gaslighting Scenarios which, hopefully, you don’t identify with at the moment. (and if ever you do, then it’s time to reevaluate your relationship/s and steer clear before you lose your wits!) (source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2022/09/13/what-is-gaslighting-how-to-spot-it/10333556002/)

1. The 1st gaslighting scenario you should watch out for is when someone lies to you or denies something and then refusing to admit the lie even if you show them the evidence.

2. The 2nd sign someone is gaslighting you is when someone insists that an event or behavior you witnessed never happened and that your memory about it is all wrong.

3. 3rd sign is when someone spreads rumors about you, or tells you that other people are gossiping about you.

4. 4th on the list is when someone refuses to listen when asked directly about a lie or other gaslighting behavior, or when that person shifts topic.

5. Lastly, when someone tells you you’re over-reacting when you call them out.