6 behaviors that should not be confused with gas lighting

Although gaslighting is an underhanded tactic and a type of manipulation, too often people consider aggressive behavior, similar to directly addressing conflict, to be gaslighting. However, conflict resolution in interpersonal relationships should not be confused with gaslighting. Victims of gaslighting are likely to query their reality because they’re fed false information that causes them to query what they imagine to be accurate, often about themselves.

Conflict resolution deliberately resolves the dispute by making an allowance for the interests of every party. To resolve conflict in your relationships, you should hearken to each side, understand perspectives, and accept emotions. The goal of conflict resolution is to encourage open dialogue, find common ground, and work together to succeed in a win-win solution for all parties.

According to Dominique Mortier, a therapist at Bloom Psychology & Wellness, conflict is not bad if it inspires development and there’s harmony within the mind. “Conflict is not harmful in itself and can be an opportunity to develop a relationship,” he says. Mortier continues: “However, trying to alter the ability dynamics with gas lighting can grow to be unhealthy. Gas lighting has grow to be a preferred term that is used continuously, but sometimes within the incorrect context.

These are some behaviors that are invalidating and harmful; nonetheless, they can not be gas lighting, for instance:

I do not agree: Disagreeing with another person’s viewpoint. You may disagree with someone’s interpretation of a situation, but you do not deny that it could be true for them. You can conform to disagree.

Request for explanation: Asking for facts to support their beliefs. Curiosity can increase our understanding, however it doesn’t suggest we doubt another person’s reality.

Delivering solutions: Providing easy solutions to complex feelings or problems. For example, responding to someone restricting their eating: “Just eat.” This invalidates how difficult the experience is, however it does not negate the existence of an issue.

Avoidance: Ignoring or “silent” treatment of somebody is usually known as stonewalling. By responding this manner, you deprive the opposite person of the chance to receive feedback, not your experience.

Strong viewpoint: Having a viewpoint means expressing your opinion strongly and rejecting one other person’s viewpoint. We have the precise to have our own viewpoint and we do not have to simply accept another person’s if we do not agree with it.