Turning Up The Lights On Gaslighting Analysis

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Mental illness a serious matter in society today. Many people from teenagers to adults suffer from some kind of mental illness. Anxiety and depression are the two most common types of mental illnesses experienced, both ranging from mild to severe. Unfortunately, the people that suffer from these illnesses are not treated with the respect that they should be. People with these illnesses are gaslighted into believing that what they are experiencing and feeling is wrong and that it is their fault, but it’s not. The gaslighter is at fault for making them feel that their illness is not a valid enough reason to be sad or scared. “A mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s mood, behavior, and thinking” (webmd.com). Mental illness can …show more content…
Kate Abramson defines gaslighting as “emotional manipulation in which the gaslighter tries (consciously or not) to induce in someone the sense that her reactions, perceptions, memories, and/or beliefs are not just mistaken, but utterly without grounds.” This means that gaslighters try to manipulate someone in thinking that whatever they are feeling, they have no reason to be feeling that way. Abramson goes on to explain that gaslighters do this in order to cover up their own anxieties and project it on other people. She also notes that the gaslighter’s ultimate goal is to destroy the possibility of …show more content…
Gaslighting can be seen in the media, in relationships, and even politics. People who suffer from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety are targets of gaslighters. They are the targets of gaslighting because in society because people believe that anxiety and depression are “not that serious.” Unfortunately, the severity of these illnesses is not commonly known. Living with these kinds of conditions can make life hard. People with these conditions are often told “you’ve got nothing to be scared about” or “you’ll have to get over it eventually.” But these illnesses are far more involved than a terrible experience or event. People diagnosed with these illnesses have no control over it and can not simply “get over it.” They may need to take medication or go to

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