There are various types of psychological abuse that people use these days and a range of tactics that they put into play to get what they want from others. When you are the victim of any type of psychological abuse and manipulation, it can have a huge negative impact on your health, your mental state of mind, and your quality of life. Yet, people end up putting up with this type of abuse all the time, often because they are blinded by love for the other person.

One type of tactic used by some to manipulate others is known as gaslighting, and this is a gradual method of psychological abuse that systematically breaks down both your confidence and your ability to make the right decisions and choices. In this article, we will look at some of the actions of those who may be abusing you or someone else through gaslighting.

Some of the Signs of This Type of Abuse

There are various ways in which some people gaslight others to manipulate them and familiarizing yourself with these ways will enable you to know what signs to look out for. Some of the ways in which this tactic is used are:

Using the Things that You Love

One thing that these people will do is to use the things you love to gaslight you. This could be anything from your children or other family members to your pets, your career, or anything else. By doing this, they put doubt in the mind of the victim with regards to the things they hold close to their heart, which is a means of manipulation.

Lying Blatantly

Those who subject others to gaslighting and other forms of manipulation have no qualms when it comes to lying, and they actually manage to pull it off pretty smoothly. Many perpetrators of gaslighting will lie blatantly and without any problems while keeping a straight face and looking you in the eyes while lying. This makes you question yourself about the truth and you may start believing that what they are saying is true.

Putting the Blame on You

Another tactic that is used is to put the blame for something that has happened to the victim. They will do anything and everything they can to make you feel that the problem lies with you, and after a while, you may start to believe this. They may even make you believe that there is something very wrong with you.

Making You Doubt Your Memory

You may be certain about something that happened or the way a particular situation unfolded in the past, but a manipulator will make you doubt all of that so you wonder whether there is something wrong with your memory. You may start believing that you remember the events incorrectly, which changes your whole perception of a particular time or situation in your life.

Wearing You Down

One other thing they will do is to use whatever means to wear you down. This could be through knocking your confidence by constantly belittling you or making you doubt yourself, or it could be through tactics such as isolating you from loved ones and turning you against them so you have no external support network.

A Bad Influence in Your Life

Someone that uses tactics such as these is nothing more than a toxic influence in your life. This is why you must take time out to reflect and decide whether this is someone you need to cut all ties with.