Expressions like “you are crazy”, “you are always on the defensive” or “you exaggerate too much” are quite common in many couples today. Something that may seem normal and habitual, hides a form of abuse that can have serious mental consequences for the person who suffers it.
This way of subtly manipulating the couple It is called gaslighting or gaslighting.
Gas light or a way to manipulate the couple
This phenomenon is more common than people may believe at first and is nothing more than a form of mental abuse that tries to change the reality of the person who suffers it. What is sought is to make the couple believe they live in an imaginary world and that everything is the fruit of their mind. All this has a negative impact both emotionally and psychologically.
control the partner
With the phenomenon of gaslight the abuser seeks to control his partner and prevent him from thinking for himself. The manipulation is totally verbal, using a series of expressions that help sow doubts about the different thoughts. The control exercised usually provokes a series of consequences in the abused person:
- Low self-esteem and low confidence.
- Personal isolation.
- Lack of security.
- Anxiety.
The importance of regaining self-esteem
Faced with such manipulation, the person must be aware that they are subjected to mental abuse by their partner. Therapy is key when it comes to treating this problem and that the abused person can regain lost self-esteem. This is not easy at all since the person who suffers from what is known as gaslighting is completely isolated from family and friends and does not have anyone's help.
Apart from this, the manipulated person is very sunk on a mental and emotional level. That is why it is essential to go to cognitive behavioral therapy, so that the person can regain lost beliefs and thoughts.
End the toxic relationship
Experts on the subject advise, first of all, to end the toxic relationship before the consequences are greater. As we have already indicated above, it is not easy or simple to put an end to said relationship, since the abused person finds himself annulled as a person and totally isolated at a social level. Under no circumstances can a woman be allowed to be at the expense of her partner and not be able to make decisions for herself.
In short, gaslighting is a phenomenon that occurs more frequently than normal in many of today's couples. The manipulation is such that the abused person thinks that everything is the fruit of your imagination and who is constantly to blame. There is no doubt that it is a psychological abuse with all the letters that should not be allowed in any relationship.