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Self-trust is the ability to rely on your own thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and judgment. It’s the sense that you can listen to yourself, believe what you’re seeing and feeling, and handle what comes next.

Betrayal and gaslighting are two common ways that self-trust is eroded. They often show up together. Betrayal happens when someone lies to you, hides things from you, or breaks an agreement. Gaslighting follows as an attempt to cover it up or avoid accountability. The other person works to convince you that what you saw, heard, or felt wasn't real by saying things like, "That didn't happen," "You're reading into things," or "You're too sensitive."

When this is done repeatedly, it makes you doubt yourself―not because you’re naive or gullible, but because it’s disorienting when someone close to you insists your perception isn’t real. This is especially true when the person is persistent or holds a position of trust or authority. You may start to question yourself more than you question them. Instead of trusting your inner sense of things, you begin looking outward to figure out what’s true.

How Loss of Self-Trust Shows Up in Daily Life

When your self-trust has been shaken by betrayal or gaslighting, it typically spreads to other areas of your life. It creates a chronic........

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