Gaslighting has a significant impact on mental health, so it is essential for people who experience gaslighting to make sue they look after theirs. The organization may deny or hide information, lie to employees about their rights, or portray whistle-blowers who uncover problems in an organization as incompetent or mentally ill. Institutional gaslightingĪccording to an article in the Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, institutional gaslighting can occur at a company or organization. Political gaslightingĪn article in a forthcoming issue of Buffalo Law Review states that political gaslighting occurs when a political figure or group uses lies, denials, or manipulates information to control people.Įxamples include downplaying or hiding things their administration has done wrong, discrediting political opponents based on mental instability, or using controversy to divert attention from important events.
Racial gaslightingĪccording to an article in Politics, Group, and Identities, racial gaslighting occurs when people apply gaslighting techniques to a group of people based on race or ethnicity.įor example, a person may deny that a specific group experiences discrimination despite evidence that says otherwise, or they might criticize civil rights activists for being too emotional to undermine their message. They may tell the person their symptoms are “in their head,” for example.Ī 2009 study found that doctors were twice as likely to attribute coronary heart disease symptoms in middle-aged women to mental health conditions than middle-aged men.
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Medical gaslightingĪccording to the CPTSD Foundation, medical gaslighting occurs when a doctor or medical professional dismisses or trivializes a person’s health concerns based on the assumption they are mentally ill. They may accuse them of being too sensitive to belittle their feelings or of misremembering events from when they were younger. Child-parent relationshipsĪbusive caregivers may use gaslighting to shame or control children.
For example, they might continuously tell someone they are forgetful until the person starts to believe it is true. Intimate partner relationshipsĪn abusive partner may accuse someone of being irrational or crazy in order to isolate them, undermine their confidence, and make them easier to control. While anyone can experience gaslighting, it is especially common in intimate relationships and in social interactions where there is an imbalance of power.Ī person who is on the receiving end of this behavior is experiencing abuse. For example, they may tell a female that people will think she is irrational or crazy if she seeks help for abuse.
Diverting: With this technique, a person changes the focus of a discussion and questions the other person’s credibility instead.They may deny having said or done something or accuse someone of making things up. Denial: Denial involves a person pretending to forget events or how they occurred.They may accuse them of being too sensitive or of overreacting when they have valid concerns and feelings. Trivializing: This occurs when a person belittles or disregards the other person’s feelings.For example, they might say, “I do not know what you are talking about,” or “you are just trying to confuse me.” A person using this technique may pretend not to understand someone so that they do not have to respond to them. Withholding: When someone withholds, they refuse to engage in a conversation.They may say things such as, “you never remember things accurately,” or “are you sure? You have a bad memory.” Countering: This describes a person questioning someone’s memories.According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, techniques a person may use to gaslight someone include: Gaslighting often develops gradually, making it difficult for a person to detect. Share on Pinterest Gaslighting may cause people to distrust themselves and feel scared and vulnerable.