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Gaslighting, a term coined by Robert Stern, represents the manipulation and undermining of another person’s reality by denying facts, the environment around them, or their feelings. The phrase originated from a 1938 mystery thriller called Gas Light. Written by British playwright Patrick Hamilton, it follows a man, Greg, who manipulates his wife, Paula, into believing she can no longer trust her perceptions of reality. In one pivotal scene, Gregory causes the gaslights in the house to flicker by turning them on in the attic of the house. Yet when Paula asks why the gaslights are flickering, he insists that it’s not really happening and that it’s all in her mind, causing her to doubt her self-perception. Hence the term “gaslighting.”
The instance above is only one example of how gaslighting can manifest in a situation. The concept of gaslighting can be displayed in a wide array of scenarios involving gender, racial injustice, LGBTQ youth, and institutional microaggressions. Let’s discuss each one in detail. Gender: One article by sociologists states that based on survey data, gaslighting is common in domestic violence situations, preventing women from accessing resources that would help them escape the abuse. Additionally, when perpetrators apply gender-based stereotypes against victims with whom they are in an intimate relationship, gaslighting becomes not only effective, but devastating. It deprives women of the social power that allows them to define their own identities and self-image. Women report fear of seeming excessively emotional in intimate relationships with men, and they experience a lack of power as a result. Because their self-perception and perceptions of reality are negatively influenced, their mental state can quickly deteriorate because of this effective manipulation strategy. It seems that gaslighting should be considered both a psychological and sociological concept because it is a core feature of domestic violence between men and women. Racial Profiling: Through an analysis of 27 news media articles on the topic of street checks, researchers found that police services and media in Ontario, Canada enacted gaslighting, a form of psychological abuse that is used to manipulate others in order to deceive and undermine the credibility of the target. Specifically, they denied any systemic and structural issues with respect to anti-Black racism in the city. They avoided stating any definition of their practice of street checks to the public which allowed them to deflect public outrage. The psychological effects of gaslighting on people of color included “a sense of alienation, disenfranchisement from the community, and distrust toward the police.” With this study, it is suggested that gaslighting is part of a systemic, historical process of racism that has been used by the police and government organizations to both illegally target people of color and deny complicity in racial profiling. Racial assumptions eventually become ingrained and internalized in the infrastructure of society, and act as institutional reminders to individuals and groups. LGBTQ: One group that encounters gaslighting in their daily lives is our youth. K-12 school students who are part of the LGBTQ community experience gaslighting everyday at school. The prominence of gaslighting in schools can be attributed to sociocultural oppression. It can be considered a form of oppression that punishes queerness. On a national level, Betsy DeVos, the United States Secretary of Education under the Trump administration, overturned rulings that protected transgender students. Researchers analyzed how shifting policies contributed to sociocultural gaslighting that directly impacts LGBTQ+ youth in schools. As it is argued in the article, shifts in policies intensifies the psychological warfare of gaslighting and is therefore an intentional move to despoil queerness in schools. Institutional: One severe form of institutional gaslighting is whistle-blower gaslighting. In organizations, those who report misconduct suffer intense emotional manipulation by other employees to discredit and punish the employees. It results in sadness, anxiety, and an intense loss of self-worth. They become traumatized and start to doubt their perceptions, competence, and mental state. Oftentimes institutions enable reprisals, explain them away, and pronounce that the whistle-blower is irrationally overreacting to normal everyday interactions. Over time, these strategies trap the whistle-blower in a maze of enforced helplessness. It is recommended that any employee who reports a concern and subsequently experiences an unusual negative workplace event should consider looking for a new job. There are resources available to those who have experienced gaslighting and to get support if they need it.
Feel free to leave a comment with your experiences, personal or not, if you feel comfortable. References Kathy, A. (2018). Institutional betrayal and gaslighting: Why whistle-blowers are so traumatized. Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, 32(1), 59-65. doi: 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000306 Sweet, P. L. (2019). The sociology of gaslighting. American Sociological Association, 84(5), 851-875. doi: 10.1177/0003122419874843 Tobias, H., & Joseph, A. (2020). Sustaining systemic racism through psychological gaslighting: Denials of racial profiling and justifications of carding by police utilizing local news media. Race and Justice, 10(4), 424-455. doi: 10.1177/2153368718760969 Wozolek, B. (2018). Gaslighting queerness: schooling as a place of violent assemblages. Journal of LGBT Youth, 15(4), 319-338. doi: 10.1080/19361653.2018.1484839
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Gaslighting is a term so commonly misused in today’s society. It has been misrepresented as a way to deflect criticism in the case of a differing opinion. So often we see the term being used in the context of an individual responding to feedback. Phrases used to express disagreement by voicing a direct criticism of another individual, like the use of the words ”overreacting,” “sensitive,” and “dramatic,” are often being mistakenly confused as being real examples of gaslighting. Although these arguments are condescending in nature, they do not usually count as gaslighting from a mental health standpoint.
When used as intended, gaslighting refers to the behavior of attempting to use deception to convince an individual of incorrect account of the events that occurred, while maintaining that the real events are fake or false. Gaslighting is intentional, ongoing, and dishonest, and constitutes as an abusive behavior. By telling an individual that they are being too sensitive about an issue, there is no real gaslighting taking place because one individual is not deliberately trying to convince the other of the occurrence fake events. However, discrediting an individual’s experience and manipulating them into believing they are being too sensitive when the sensitivity is valid does count as gaslighting. The statement was made with the intention of deceiving the other person and evading any potential consequences in the process. It’s important to remember that gaslighting can occur in all types of relationships and is a covert form of psychological abuse. Because of this, gaslighting can be very effective over a period of time through the continuous breaking down of the victim. Often, an individual who exhibits gaslighting behavior will isolate their victim to further perpetuate the feeling that they are crazy. This feeds the doubt about reality in the victim’s mind, further perpetuating the cycle of manipulation and psychological abuse. There are resources available to those who have experienced gaslighting, and to get support if they need it. One comprehensive resource is: https://www.thehotline.org/resources/victims-and-survivors/ Feel free to leave a comment with your experiences, personal or not, if you feel comfortable. Reference: What is Gaslighting? (2014, May 29). The National Domestic Violence Hotline. https://www.thehotline.org/2014/05/29/what-is-gaslighting/ Myth: Mental health problems don't affect me.
Fact: Mental health problems are actually very common. In 2014, about:
Myth: Children don't experience mental health problems. Fact: Even very young children may show early warning signs of mental health concerns. These mental health problems are often clinically diagnosable, and can be a product of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Half of all mental health disorders show first signs before a person turns 14 years old, and three quarters of mental health disorders begin before age 24. Unfortunately, less than 20% of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need. Early mental health support can help a child before problems interfere with other developmental needs. Myth: People with mental health problems are violent and unpredictable. Fact: The vast majority of people with mental health problems are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Most people with mental illness are not violent and only 3%–5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness. In fact, people with severe mental illnesses are over 10 times more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population. You probably know someone with a mental health problem and don't even realize it, because many people with mental health problems are highly active and productive members of our communities. Myth: People with mental health needs, even those who are managing their mental illness, cannot tolerate the stress of holding down a job. Fact: People with mental health problems are just as productive as other employees. Employers who hire people with mental health problems report good attendance and punctuality as well as motivation, good work, and job tenure on par with or greater than other employees. When employees with mental health problems receive effective treatment, it can result in:
Myth: Personality weakness or character flaws cause mental health problems. People with mental health problems can snap out of it if they try hard enough. Fact: Mental health problems have nothing to do with being lazy or weak and many people need help to get better. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:
Myth: There is no hope for people with mental health problems. Once a friend or family member develops mental health problems, he or she will never recover. Fact: Studies show that people with mental health problems get better and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. There are more treatments, services, and community support systems than ever before, and they work. Myth: Therapy and self-help are a waste of time. Why bother when you can just take a pill? Fact: Treatment for mental health problems varies depending on the individual and could include medication, therapy, or both. Many individuals work with a support system during the healing and recovery process. Myth: I can't do anything for a person with a mental health problem. Fact: Friends and loved ones can make a big difference. Only 44% of adults with diagnosable mental health problems and less than 20% of children and adolescents receive needed treatment. Friends and family can be important influences to help someone get the treatment and services they need by:
Myth: Prevention doesn't work. It is impossible to prevent mental illnesses. Fact: Prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focuses on addressing known risk factors such as exposure to trauma that can affect the chances that children, youth, and young adults will develop mental health problems. Promoting the social-emotional well-being of children and youth leads to:
Reference: Mental Health. (2017). https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts |
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