Gaslighting is a cunning form of emotional abuse. When it sneaks into a romantic relationship, it leaves you questioning your reality and feeling guilty for entirely natural emotions. You might catch yourself thinking, “Was I overreacting?” Or feeling bad for being upset, even when your feelings are valid.

A recent study ran a psycholinguistic analysis on the 2021 short film Your Reality, which has garnered more than 6 million views since it was first published on YouTube. The study highlights moments where the “gaslighter” in the film intentionally twists and denies the protagonist’s reality, which makes her question her own actions, memories, and even her sanity.

“Little digs, constant critiques. They are miserable people and want you to think you’re the cause of all their problems. Then they get people around you to think you’re the cause of the problems too,” explains one of the 18,000 comments under the video.

This may lead us to think: Why do people let themselves be mistreated in this way? It is because gaslighting often involves a confusing mix of kindness and cruelty, making it even more difficult for the victim to identify the manipulation. One minute your partner is sweet, the next they belittle you, forcing you to........

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