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Gaslighting

Abuse can take many different forms. It doesn’t always look like physical violence. This is a real-life example of a repeated incident in a victim’s life that she shared.

“We would go out with family and friends, and we made it always appear to everyone that all is well. But the car door would shut to leave, and the barrage of attacks would begin. He would begin yelling at me, telling me how I embarrassed him, criticizing how I dressed, yelling at me for how I acted, how I talked or didn’t talk. He made me feel crazy and no matter how hard I tried I never could please him. I started to believe the things he said about me and started to shut down.”
This one example of many demonstrates what goes on when no one is looking, how subtle abuse can be, and the power it has to destroy a person and their personhood.



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