Shame is a soul eating emotion ~ Carl Jung
Gaslighting is a silent killer of the soul. It’s a subtle form of emotional manipulation that chips away at my sense of reality and self-worth until I’m left questioning my own sanity. I know this because I’m living it.
I find myself tangled in the web of gaslighting by someone I thought I could trust. They’re charming, persuasive, and seemingly sincere. But beneath the surface lies a master manipulator, skilled in the art of deception and emotional exploitation.
It starts with little lies here and there – insignificant discrepancies that I brush off as harmless. But as time goes on, the lies grow bolder, more elaborate, until they form a tangled web of deceit that ensnares me completely.
One of the most painful aspects of gaslighting is the feeling of shame and humiliation that accompanies it. I’m made to feel ashamed for questioning the inconsistencies in their stories, for daring to challenge their version of reality. I’m made to feel small, insignificant, unworthy of trust or respect.
But perhaps the most insidious aspect of gaslighting is its ability to make me doubt myself. I find myself constantly second-guessing my own perceptions, wondering if I’m overreacting, imagining things, making a big deal out of nothing. It’s a relentless assault on my sanity, leaving me feeling lost, confused, and utterly alone.
The emotional toll of gaslighting is immense. It leaves me feeling broken, shattered, as if my very essence has been stripped away. I struggle to make sense of my own emotions, to trust my own instincts, to believe in my own worth.
And yet, despite the pain and the heartache, I can’t seem to shake off the hold they have over me. I’m trapped in a cycle of manipulation and deceit, unable to break free from the chains that bind me to them.
I need to learn to trust my own instincts, to listen to the voice within me that whispers, “You deserve better.”
I share my story not out of a desire for sympathy or pity, but as a reminder that no one deserves to be treated with such cruelty and contempt. Gaslighting thrives in silence, in secrecy, in the shadows of shame and fear. But when we shine a light on it, when we speak our truth and reclaim our power, we rob it of its power to destroy us.
The Dish by Deni 