Not many people are familiar with the term “gaslighting,” but it is an extremely important one to learn. Gaslighting is a term that was actually coined from a 1940’s movie, where a husband tried to convince his wife that she had gone crazy. Gaslighting is a form of manipulation used against a partner to convince them that they were the ones that were wrong. This technique is not exclusive to romantic partners. It can happen between coworkers, friends, or by your boss. So, today, we will discuss some signs that you have fallen victim to gaslighting. 1. You Are Told How You Feel We’ve all met these people Is there anyone in your life that tells you how you feel? It could be something as little as, “You don’t actually want to watch that television show” to “You do not want me to be successful.” These comments usually come out of left field and instead of asking you these questions, they simply make assumptions about your feelings and run with it. 2. You Question Your Sanity Sometimes you can leave the conversations with this person thinking, “Am I crazy?” Often, you actually mean that question. If you’ve experienced this, and you feel that you are going more and more insane, you just may be a victim of gaslighting. 3. You Try Anything to Avoid Misinterpretation If you are constantly walking around on egg shells and hold in your opinions for fear that they will be twisted against you, there’s a strong possibility that you are a victim. Having someone twist your words against you gets old very quick. So, victims will tend to avoid those situations to not experience that manipulation. 4. You Are Always Apologizing Do you feel like a broken record, repeating over and over again that you are sorry? Not only is this not normal, it is also not healthy. Victims of gaslighting are constantly apologizing for their feelings and beliefs. 5. You Are Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop If you’ve already experienced one outburst, you may be waiting for the next one. You never know when the next time is going to happen, bringing you back to walking on egg shells in anticipation. 6. You Keep The Truth From Friends and Family This is a huge red flag. You should be able to be proud of your relationship and show off your significant other to your friends and family. However, if you feel that you need to hide aspects of your relationship, there’s a problem. 7. You Think You Are Too Sensitive Do you ever feel that you are constantly in the wrong because you are too sensitive? Do you feel that you bring less value to your relationships because of that? If you have these genuine thoughts, you may be a victim. These opinions and feelings may be planted by someone else. 8. You Lie to Defend Yourself Victims will lie constantly, since the truth will get them into trouble with their perpetrator of gaslighting. If you need to tell lies in order to keep someone from attacking you, there is a problem. 9. You Are Always Confused Since victims are always lying, afraid to let others in and are being told that they are wrong, they just do not know what to believe. Therefore, life can leave them a bit disoriented all the time. They say if you tell a lie so many times, you will begin to believe it. This certainly seems to be the case for gaslighting victims. So, what can you do if you, or someone you know, is a victim of gaslighting? The best thing to do is to seek out professional help. The professional can help you figure out your true feelings and figure out who you are. Have you ever heard of the term gaslighting before today? Do you know anyone who has escaped one of these toxic relationships? Let us know in our comment section.