A More Dangerous Form of Emotional Abuse
- Potential for domestic homicide is higher
- Lifetime attachment issues for children witnessing the abuse
- Parental alienation
- Chronic loss of self-esteem; higher suicide rates
- Gaslighting probability higher in men
- Intermittent positive reinforcement (breadcrumbing)
- Slow spiral into instability
- Compulsive lying with malicious intent
- Jekyll and Hyde personality
- Narcissist, sociopath, or learned behavior? Nature/nurture
- Demands absolute loyalty, never gives it in return
- Chronic pattern of infidelity
- May be very charismatic
- They'll only attend couples therapy, never individual
- Gaslighting the therapist
- Case study: 38-year-old male, gaslighting his partner
- Disconnected and isolated from family and friends
- Blames self for abuse
- Difficulty recognizing gradual build of abuse
- Ruminates on how to "fix" relationship
- Abuse in family of origin
- Increase in anxious attachment style traits
- Given up independence, including job and solo activities
- Enters therapy because they view themselves as the "problem"
Healing from Family-of-Origin and Complicated Grief
- Insecure attachment
- Permission to detach, reduce, or cease communication
- Sticking to healthy boundaries
- Reverse relationship patterns
- Case study: Cassie, 60-year-old female, family of-origin engages in gaslighting
- Effective strategies for co-parenting with gaslighter
- Legal protections for clients and their children
- Formation of healthy boundaries
- Case study: Jamie, 45-years-old, co-parenting with a narcissist
- Case study: 35-years-old, co-parenting with gaslighting ex-partner
- Triangulation of therapist
- Being swayed by gaslighter's charisma
- Frustration over client returning to relationship
- Pushing own agenda of client independence
- Vicarious traumatization and burnout
