This word originated in the 1938 play titled 'Gaslighting', in which a husband tries to drive his wife insane by lowering the gas-lit lights in their home, and then denying that the light changes when his wife points it out.

It is a very effective form of emotional abuse that causes a victim to question her own feelings, instincts, and sanity.

This tactic gives the abusive partner a great deal of power and control, in other words, the definition of abuse. Once an abusive partner has analyzed the victim's ability to trust her own perceptions, the victim is more likely to stay in the abusive relationship.

Discover more in this podcast.