Has someone ever made you question your own reality? Have you walked away from an argument you knew you were right in, only to find yourself doubting the very ground you stood on? This might be the insidious effect of gaslighting. Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, or sanity.

The unsettling part about gaslighting is that it often happens so subtly that you don't notice you're a victim until the damage is done. In this blog post, we’ll explore the gritty details of gaslighting, its effects on our mental health, and most importantly—how to take your power back.

Understanding Gaslighting: It's Not You, It's Them

Before we can fight back, it’s vital to understand what gaslighting looks like. It’s often a pattern of behavior where misinformation is fed to the victim, causing them to doubt their own perception, memory, and quite often, their sanity. Gaslighting takes its time to erode an individual’s sense of self, often starting with little comments and growing into a colossal manipulation tactic.

Recognizing gaslighting can be tough, especially when it comes from someone close to you, like a partner, friend, or family member. Gaslighting can manifest in several ways:

Countering: Telling you that you’re wrong, even when you’re right.
Withholding information: Pretending to forget things; also known as selective memory.
Trivializing: Making your thoughts and feelings seem unimportant.
Blocking and diverting: Changing the subject to avoid accountability.
Forgetting: Using statements like "I never said that" or "You must have imagined it."
Denial: Flat out denying they ever said or did something.

The key takeaway from understanding gaslighting is to remind yourself that it’s a manipulation tactic. It aims to undermine your reality and, by doing so, hijacks your autonomy.

The Resurgence of Your Voice

Having your reality questioned, and your voice silenced, can be deeply unsettling. It knocks the confidence from your sail, leaving you feeling adrift and disoriented. But your voice is resilient; it can weather the darkest storms.

Recognize the Signs

The first step to reclaiming your truth is recognizing the signs of gaslighting. Reflect on past interactions and try to identify the moments where your experience was trivialized or where you were told not to trust your instincts. Awareness is key. The more you recognize these moments, the more you can push back against them.

Narrative Redefinition

Each of us tells a story about our lives to make sense of our experiences. Gaslighting attempts to rewrite this narrative, but it’s your story to tell. Take back the pen and redefine your experiences in a way that empowers you. For instance, if someone tries to criticize your memory, remind yourself: "I know what happened; my memory is valid."

Seek Validation

Gaslighting can be incredibly isolating. Seek out friends, family, or a mental health professional who can provide you with the validation you need. Discussing your experiences with others helps you maintain a grounded perspective on reality.

Setting Boundaries: The Art of Self-Preservation

When you’ve been gaslit, it’s common to feel like you have to appease your gaslighter to avoid conflict. This is a dangerous pattern that can perpetuate the cycle of manipulation.

Clearly Define Acceptable Behavior

Set clear boundaries around what behavior you will and will not accept. Communicate these boundaries to the people in your life and be prepared to enforce them. Gaslighters will often test your boundaries, so it’s important to stay firm.

Grounding Techniques

Develop grounding techniques to center or try this meditation here, yourself when you’re feeling gaslit. These could be as simple as regular deep breathing exercises or carrying a grounding object with you.

Walk Away

When someone refuses to respect your boundaries or constantly disregards your reality, it's okay to walk away from the conversation—or even the relationship. Your mental health should always be a top priority.

Embracing Your Power: Moving Forward with Confidence

Reclaiming your power is a journey. It’s not about confronting the gaslighter, but rather about reconnecting with your inner wisdom and learning to trust yourself again.

Focus on Self-Care

Engaging in regular self-care practices like meditation, journaling, or talking to a loved one can soothe the wounds of gaslighting. Remember, you deserve to take care of yourself.

Education and Self-Awareness

The more you educate yourself on gaslighting and manipulation tactics, the less power they hold over you. Self-awareness is your best defense.

Centering Authenticity

Set aside who you’re ‘supposed to be’ or what you’re ‘supposed to feel.’ Embrace every part of your authentic self. Your thoughts, feelings, and experiences are valid.

Final Thoughts: Your Journey to Healing

Gaslighting has the power to chip away at even the strongest of foundations. But recognizing it for what it is—the attempt to control and manipulate—is the first step. Reclaiming your truth may seem daunting, but it is entirely within your grasp.

Remember, you are not a passive participant in your life. Your voice has value, and your reality is yours to own. Trust that the ground you stand on is firm, and with each step, you grow stronger. Your future is a landscape of possibilities, not limited by the illusions of the past. You are resilient, you are powerful, and you can find peace after gaslighting.

I love helping my clients let go of painful experiences to help them rebuild trust, self-confidence, self-worth and belief in themselves by addressing the root causes with subconscious change. The tool I use is called PSYCH-K®, and is a quick, pain-free and completely safe way to reprogram your subconscious and to create lasting change for once and for all.

Within my holistic practice, we help you create a lasting self-care practice to regulate your nervous system in your day to day-to-day life, so you can always hear and follow your whispers, instead of the big Mac truck.

If you’re ready to stop dimming your light, start making easy decisions with confidence, and follow through with what you want to achieve, while trusting your intuition, you can easily set up a free conversation with me.

>>>To Book Integrative Energetic Healing Services, click here

Rediscovering Your Truth: How to Reclaim Your Power After Gaslighting