If you’re telling yourself, “My husband gaslights me” or suspect he’s gaslighting you, here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.
What is Gaslighting?
Gaslighting is when someone tries to change how you see things. It makes you doubt your own thoughts, memories, or feelings. This kind of trick can be sneaky, but sometimes it’s very obvious. It’s a form of serious psychological abuse.
For example, your husband might say the lights are on when they’re really off, making you feel confused and unsure about what you see.
Gaslighting is very harmful, because it makes you feel confused and scared. It can even make you think you’re going crazy. But you’re not crazy. This is a type of psychological abuse.
How Gaslighting Looks in a Marriage
A husband who gaslights might lie about cheating, hide his use of pornography, or deny where he was or what he was doing. He could blame you, change the story, or deny things that you know happened.
This form of psychological manipulation will leave you feeling isolated and unsure of reality.
4 Ways to Protect Yourself from Gaslighting
- Learn to Recognize It: The first step is to identify gaslighting when it happens. Pay attention to patterns of lying, dismissing your feelings, or denying facts. To see if you’re being abused in this way, take our free test for emotional abuse, which includes several sections about gaslighting.
- Stay Grounded in Reality: Keep a journal to record key events and conversations. Write down facts like dates, times, and details to remind yourself of the truth.
- Seek The Right Support: Reach out to trusted friends or family members who can provide clarity and validation when you feel shaken. Connecting with others who understand your situation can provide much-needed support and validation.
- Educate Yourself: Learn strategies to protect yourself from his gaslighting. Resources like Betrayal Trauma Recovery’s Living Free Workshop can help you develop helpful tools.
The Right Support When Your Husband Is Gaslighting You
At Betrayal Trauma Recovery, we understand how hard and confusing gaslighting can feel. Even though it doesn’t leave bruises, it can still hurt a lot. That’s why we’ve made resources to help you heal and feel strong again.
- Enroll in Our Strategy Workshops: Our Living Free Workshop offers strategies to identify and protect yourself from gaslighting. It’ll help you see through the manipulation and set healthy boundaries.
- Listen to The FREE Betrayal Trauma Recovery Podcast: Women share their stories of when they discovered their husband gaslighting and how they moved forward toward peace and safety.
- Attend a Group Session: Connect with women who’ve been through similar experiences. Our online Group Sessions offer support, validation, and expert guidance.
Psychological abuse can leave you feeling lost and unsure of what to do next. But you don’t have to face it alone.
Learn more ways to protect yourself, enroll in our Living Free Workshop today.
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Have been with my husband since high school (in my forties now).
Recently I found out that my husband had not only been currently cheating but he has been having multiple affairs with multiple woman our ENTIRE MARRIAGE!
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I am currently learning how to leave him for good!!