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Gas lighting, a very effective crazy making tool

Struggling stepmum's picture

Why do men gas light us??? Is it a purposeful tactic or do they or realise what they do ?? I sometimes tell my H that something upsets me when it doesn't just to see if he uses it to upset me. He always does. If you have not heard of it google it. It changed everything for me

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Onefootout's picture

tog, maybe you can ask your DH to clone his brain so I can transplant it into SO's head. You've made a good choice in a man. I don't seem to have that talent, I always pick the difficult ones with maturity issues. Probably because I have maturity issues as well. Thinking about going back into therapy. Ugh. So much work.

princessmofo's picture

I think dh attempts this. Especially with his sketchy memory techniques and lies by omission. But I'm sharp as a tack, and I remember the facts. So it just doesn't stick anymore. Too bad for him...

Onefootout's picture

Struggling, if he purposely upsets you, then that is really abusive, sadistic. I was involved with a man like that. He liked to do things to make me jealous, and would try to convince me that I was wrong about the things his daughter would do, like I was making it up. He knew exactly what his daughter was doing, but he was so insecure, getting a rise out of me was like his way of controlling me, like I was his puppet.

Struggling stepmum's picture

Once you recognise the behaviour it becomes ineffective. Also you keep your thoughts to yourself. I don't know if a lot of women would even have heard of it. I hadn't, I thought I was losing my mind.

Struggling stepmum's picture

Oh I know it's abusive. But now I just walk out when he starts and it kills the effect. Obviously only a person who feels inadequate would behave like this. Just wondered how many women actually k ow what it is.

Onefootout's picture

Okay, so I've blogged about this before but SO and I had a huge blow out last week. I walked away in the middle of the argument. Later I left the house without telling SO. I went to look at a rent house. I do this after almost every big argument. When I came back, I couldn't open the garage door to park my car. My remote opener didn't work and the button inside the garage didn't work. The little green light was off so I assume there was no power to it.

I went and asked SO if he messed with switch. He looked at me and kept saying I don't know. I asked him repeatedly and he was always weird and evasive. He said he wasnt used to people walking out on him in anger and not telling him. I went to my bedroom and a few minutes later SO came in and said it worked fine. I asked him again if he had messed with it, he finally denied it. I didn't believe him, but I can't prove it.

When his ex-wife walked out on him he changed the locks. But she had been gone several days, I was only gone for an hour so he wouldn't have had time to lock me out.

How immature this is. Maybe I was immature for leaving without telling him, but really, SO? Grow up.

Struggling stepmum's picture

No you were not immature. You have yourself time out. Looking at rented houses is interesting. I always google quickie divorce. Reckon we are heading in the right direction. The garage thing is classic gaslighting.

Onefootout's picture

Really? You mean specifically the garage thing? Do you know of that happening to someone else, being locked out of the garage? Or just that type of conduct in general? I know it was his way of making a dramatic gesture and also letting me know he lets me live there and he can kick me out too. Ooh, I'm so scared, SO, since I depend on you for absolutely nothing! Please, kick me out!

noway70's picture

You should mess with the garage control yourself, and when he asks about it be as evasive as he was...

Onefootout's picture

If I only knew how. Honestly I can't be bothered. I'm usually too tired to make the effort. I think I'll do that when I've decided to leave and I want him to kick me out for real. Because I think that's what he would do if I messed with the garage, double standard, you know. It's still his house, his baby, even though I pay rent.

Struggling stepmum's picture

Not an a tubal garage incident but gas lighters do things like hiding or breaking things then blaming you. Or saying you are imagining it. Give you a for instance. I work nights and at least once a fortnight my i phone list all power. Took me about three months to wonder if H was shutting it down as was linked to his I accou ts. He denied it told me I was nuts. So I secretly deleted my device from his account an put it in a new one. When I returned the next day H asked if I had changed my phone account. He still won't admit it but I know hewasdoing it to mess with my head. Google it and educate yourself. If you understand it you can defend yourself against the effects.it should a criminal act as it is potentially soul destroying!

noidea1010's picture

After a really nasty fight with my SO, when I got to my house I re-keyed the locks and reset the garage door remote so the one I gave him wouldn't work. (I had ended the argument by giving him back the key to his house, so this was my way of blocking him from my house) So it's totally possible. If the button in the garage didn't work, he probably unplugged the power cord.

Bojangles's picture

I don't believe my DH does it on purpose, but there have many times where I have felt we have experienced an alternate reality when arguing. I think the fear of alienating his children, and his family in general, runs so deep that his brain will rewire events in order to avoid him having to blame or be critical of them, because if he allowed himself to blame or criticise or be angry with them then he would have to do something. And he is deeply conflict averse with them, but not with me. Much easier to get angry with me and deny my view. Sometimes I'll be listening to his explanation or justification and boggle that it can make sense to him. But then at the time clearly he feels the same about my viewpoint.

Onefootout's picture

Okay I have another one. I think this may be paranoia, though. I always find my interior light on in my car, and I don't remember turning it on. I imagine SS doing this to try to make my battery run out. It never works. But I'm so absent minded I could have done this myself and forgotten. Still, though....

Struggling stepmum's picture

Easy to test this one. Leave a note on your dashboard to remind you. Write the time you turned it off. Hide the note and see if it stays off. Get the electrics checked too though. When I researched this behaviour I thought surely people wouldn't behave lke this? Some instances are bordering on madness. But they do. To their own spouses. My H only rarely tries this now since when he does I say stop gaslighting me and leave the house. Sometimes over night.

Onefootout's picture

good advice, thanks. SS goes out all the time to the garage because all the drinks are kept in the garage fridge. I think I'll casually check the light after he comes back in, and also before I go to bed. This one I'm not sure about, I could be paranoid, but the garage, I'm pretty sure about. All the signs were there.

Struggling stepmum's picture

I thought I was an intelligent person. How did we end up in this madness????

Struggling stepmum's picture

I'm still undecided wether my H does it on purpose or is unaware. My biggest worry at present is I'm wondering if my H actually loves me or is just pretending . I can't see how you can treat some one you love like this???