Having a healthy relationship, whether with your love partner, boss, friends, parents, and siblings, is a significant achievement and brings peace of mind. In a world where relationships have turned abusive to the extent of a rise, suicide cases and homicides are in our daily papers. It brings us to question how to handle abuse in relationships. Many people are coming up, speaking up, and organizations have come up to help those going through abuse and educate the public on better ways of solving relationship issues without abuse. Abuse may not be intentional, but it’s still abuse. Abuse is not only physical or verbal; there is also emotional abuse. This article gives us an insight into emotional abuse where we talk about gaslighting.
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse. It involves an act of manipulating a person by forcing them to question their thoughts, memories, or even events happening around them. It leads to one questioning their sanity.
Signs of gaslighting,
when gaslighted, it changes a person’s perspective and even how they do things. As they already question their thoughts and everything that is happening around them and in their life.
When you feel that you can never do something right, even if you are sure that it is right in making decisions, you do not believe you are right.
Apologizing often; when you tend to apologize even when you know you have done no wrong.
Always think that it’s your fault when things go wrong; here, you do not make your partner responsible for their faults and mistakes.
When you feel like you are a different person, here, you forget what used to make you happy, what truly made you feel fulfilled, and even forget your dreams.
Not giving information to friends or family members to avoid confrontation with your partner; you also have family and friends apart from the relationship. When gaslighted, you can not share any information even if it comes to your health and finances you are afraid of confrontation from your partner.
Finding it hard to make decisions, a gaslighted person can not make even the simplest decision as they already believe they are wrong and not capable.
Never stay in an abusive relationship. It’s sad seeing the effects of abuse; thus, you should never allow yourself to be part of a statistic. Abuse can be unintentional, but it has to be termed as abuse. If the relationship cannot be mended, leave it for the sake of your peace of mind. There is no shame in leaving and starting afresh.
Also read Does your partner care when you’ve had a bad day at work
