 Maybe you've been hearing the term gaslighting more and more nowadays, but what does it actually mean? Well, gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse and manipulation that can lead to the victim questioning their judgments and reality. As you can already imagine, this can be detrimental to the health of others. Has anyone ever told you something like, that's not how normal people act, you're imagining things, or you're acting out? These are all phrases used by people who may just be gaslighting you into confusing you about how you feel, think, or behave, in order to manipulate you into doing something they want. Gaslighting can be a weapon used by many for psychological manipulation. After all, if you can't believe yourself, who can you believe? So here are six types of gaslighting to be aware of. Number one, questioning your mental well-being. It's no surprise that someone who wants to manipulate you will try to make you question your overall mental state. The aggressor may ask you questions such as, do you hear yourself? Or, you know you sound crazy right now, right? Using these sorts of terms to destabilize your self-confidence allows the aggressor to play you into their hands by convincing you that there is something wrong with you, or that you aren't in your right mind. This can be one of the most direct types of gaslighting that others may use in order to make you more unsure of yourself, leaving your own ideas and thoughts in question. It can be intimidating and scary to face these sorts of people, especially if your self-esteem is low. Number two, playing the victim. Gaslighting isn't always about directly fooling or blaming others. Sometimes others can fake being overly hurt or upset by things that you say. Do you ever talk to someone about something they did that hurt you only for them to fall apart? They may use different types of behaviors to make you feel bad about approaching them about your feelings, such as making threats to themselves or others, crying or even going as far as to shut you out or cut you off. This type of gaslighting is usually used because the person is trying to avoid issuing an apology to you, or acknowledging your feelings in an honest manner. If it seems as though every time you try to speak to someone about their behavior, you leave the conversation feeling bad for them instead of feeling like you had an honest conversation, you may be experiencing a type of victim playing gaslighting. Do you ever feel as though you can't remember anything the right way when you're talking to that one person in particular? Maybe you could have sworn that you remembered the way they acted that one time, or they're constantly repeating behaviors that make you uncomfortable, but whenever you confront them, they question your memory. They cause feelings of anxiety or doubt about your own memory and may use this as a backdoor to your self-confidence and emotions. Confusing and disorienting a person and causing them to question their own memory allows gaslighters to place false memories or try to assume control over how you should think. This is another instance of gaslighting which can be hard to identify, but the intentions behind these words speak volumes. If someone is attempting to help you remember where you left your keys before work or trying to remind you of important tasks, chances are that they may be trying to be helpful. But your memory being brought into question about your feelings or issues is something you should be careful of. I'm the only one you can trust. Although someone may not say something of this nature directly to you, sometimes actions can speak louder than words. It's a scary concept to think that gaslighters may coerce others into thinking that the gaslighter is the only person that they have, but it may be more common than you think. If the gaslighter can trick you into believing that they are the only one looking out for you or that they are the only person who will tell you the truth, it can be a sign of manipulation. Terms such as why would you listen to them or you believe them over me may come to mind when thinking about these sorts of people. When this type of person is able to pull you away from other people's help, they can oftentimes make you feel as though they are helping you. When in reality they are likely the ones causing much of the anxiety and stress in your life, it can feel like walking on eggshells around them, even though they are supposed to be the one looking out for you. 5. Minimizing your feelings or issues Has anyone ever made you think that your feelings are too intense or your emotions are too powerful? Maybe they tell you that you should calm down or that something isn't really that big of a deal. This is a powerful type of gaslighting which can hinder you from expressing yourself and your feelings. You may start to notice that you feel reluctant or even anxious to share how you feel with others and start to internalize your own issues. Gaslighters may use phrases like, I didn't hurt you that badly, you're overreacting or I didn't raise my voice, you're just misinterpreting things or you're just too sensitive and overreacting. Gaslighters use these phrases to manipulate the situation and make you seem like the problem. Suppressing the emotions of others instead of having an honest conversation is a primary way that gaslighters can get the upper hand. Feelings are how we respond to situations both positive and negative, which gives us an idea on how to handle the situation. So trust your feelings. And number six, redirecting blame onto you. Does blame always get pushed back onto you? Maybe you feel like with this person you're constantly messing up all the time no matter what you do or how much you try to fix it. Shifting and fabricating blame can be a powerful strategy for gaslighters to help themselves feel as though they aren't to blame and maintain control over others. Learning to respect your own self and be emotionally aware of when you didn't do something wrong can help with this type of gaslighting. Being able to have open conversations and talk about why a problem came up versus knowing when someone is grasping at straws just to put you down can help shield you from these accusations. Do any of these types of gaslighting seem familiar to you? If you've experienced any of these types let us know in the comments below. We're interested to know which types are common among Psych2Goers. Do you feel like this video was beneficial in helping you identify some of the different types of gaslighting? Have you know anyone that you saw was being gaslit or manipulated by someone else? Do you have any experiences yourself? If you or anyone you know has experienced gaslighting please do not hesitate to reach out to a licensed professional for additional help. And if you found this video helpful please like and share it with friends that might find insight in this too. Remember to subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell for more content. All the sources used are added in the description box below. Thank you for watching. Until next time.