Being 2022’s word of the year does not make gaslighting a new phenomenon. Increased online searches for information around this severe form of emotional abuse are a result of more people breaking their silence about it, prompting experts to detail definitions and ways to address and heal from it. While most often spoken about in the context of romantic relationships, gaslighting can exist in all social settings including among friends, family, at work, from entities and organisations. Three psychologists outline red flags to look out for across situations and what to do in such cases.

What is gaslighting?

Going beyond the textbook definition to understand and identify the subtlety of a gaslighter’s actions and words, Utkarsha Jagga, a counselling psychologist, shares that this form of emotional abuse is guided by an imbalance of power between the people involved, that is misused by one party to invalidate, dismiss, and discount someone else’s story and feelings. Psychologist Tavishi Sanghi shares instances such as a boss who calls you hypersensitive for reporting a co-worker who made inappropriate remarks, or a friend who constantly invalidates your emotions, insinuates that you exaggerate, or questions your recollection of events, making you doubt or second-guess yourself and your reality.