Gaslighting is a type of psychological abuse in which someone or a group makes someone doubt their sanity, reality perception, or recollections.Gaslighting leaves victims feeling befuddled, apprehensive, and unable to trust themselves. 

Gaslighting was initially used in a 1938 theatrical drama called 'Gasight,' in which a young woman's husband gradually dupes her into believing she is going insane so he can steal from her.

It was remade as a British film in 1940 and a Hollywood version in 1944, starring Ingrid Bergman and Angela Lansbury in her first leading role.

Gaslighting victims are made to feel mentally vulnerable by the abuser, which allows them to be manipulated.A state of despair and anxiety develops as a result of the victim's self-esteem and self-worth eroding over time.Gaslighting causes a person to doubt their own reality, often without any evidence of psychical abuse.

Since a result, seeking support or assistance from people around the victim can appear more hopeless, as the abuser's mental grasp prevents the victim from fully comprehending their position.The problem is very much in display in society today, with a businessman sentenced in November 2021 at Cardiff Magistrates Court for 'gaslighting' his then partner.

Robert Aston was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for stalking his ex-girlfriend.Despite greater knowledge of the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic on mental illness, a study of public attitudes in Wales conducted by Kantar for Time to Change for Wales in 2021 revealed some alarming findings.

While there has been a good improvement in the Welsh public's attitude toward mental illness in terms of compassion and tolerance, the number of people who are uncomfortable talking to friends and family about mental health has doubled from 20% in 2019 to 43% in 2021, according to the study. 

Examples :

Countering: When someone questions someone's memory, this is referred to as countering."You never recall things accurately," they would say, or "are you sure?""You've got a poor memory." 

Denial is when a person pretends to forget about events or how they happened.They may deny saying or doing something, or they may accuse someone of fabricating information.

Diverting: This tactic involves changing the topic of a conversation and instead questioning the other person's credibility."That's just another weird idea you heard from your friends," they might say, for example. 

When someone refuses to engage in a conversation, they are said to be withholding.This strategy allows a person to avoid having to answer to someone by pretending not to understand them."I have no idea what you're talking about," they might say, or "you're just trying to confuse me."

When someone trivialises or disregards the feelings of another person, this is known as trivialising.When they have legitimate concerns and feelings, they may criticise them of being overly sensitive or overreacting.