Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation and abuse that makes people question their own memory, perception, and sanity
The term comes from a 1938 stage play Gas Light in which a husband attempts to convince his wife and others that she is insane - when he dims the gas lights, he insists she's imagining it
There are three stages to gaslighting in a relationship: idealisation, devaluation and discard
In the idealisation stage the victim is whisked off their feet as the gaslighter projects an image of themselves as the perfect mate
The devaluation stage hits hard: the victim goes from being adored to being incapable of doing anything right, but having tasted the ideal they are desperate to put things right
Then comes the discard stage where the victim is dropped, ready for the next one - this often happens simultaneously with the idealisation, or grooming, of the next victim
