Today’s episode examines the profound impact of gaslighting on an individual’s sense of reality and the necessity of repetitive validation for recovery. The author of the source article, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, argues that the persistent need for confirmation, often misinterpreted as insecurity or emotional dependence, is actually a crucial process of structural and epistemic repair after the victim’s trust in their own perception has been systematically undermined. Dr. Hoerricks explains that for individuals with a “gestalt memory” (GLPs), gaslighting attacks the entire framework of knowing, not just isolated facts, meaning that a single affirmation cannot undo the cumulative damage of repeated denial. Furthermore, she criticises therapeutic models that pathologise this need for repetition, asserting that true support involves consistent, unhurried confirmation to rebuild a stable foundation for the survivor’s internal knowing.

Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/trauma-after-gaslighting-why-validation

Let me know what you think.

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