Thread by @fenrir_71

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"Gaslighting is essentially a tactic used by abusive personalities to make the abused person feel as though they’re not experiencing reality, or that it’s made up or false," -- Dominic Sisti

We're all abused children now.

1/

politico.com/magazine/story…

The bulk of the abuse directed towards me as a child was verbal, as is the norm in such relationships.

It's easy to scream and be mean.

Don't get me wrong, the old man had a big ol' class ring he pop me with on the top of the head for minor infractions.

2/

He was an Olympic level gymnast too, so he was STRONG. Dude used to do standing backflips, with a potbelly mind you, and not spill the beer in his hand.

So when he hit, it HURT. Broke bones sometimes.

But the awful things he would say.

At least the bones healed.

3/

Mostly the things he would say would be about how worthless I was, couldn't do anything right. My biological father wasn't much better.

Shaping my reality.

The gaslighting was more open when my mom had been beat. She'd have a black eye, a busted lip, or a giant bruise.

4/

"What happened mom?"

"I walked into a door," was common.

"Oh honey, I slipped on the ice and hit my head on the car bumper," is one I'll never forget.

She just happened to hit her EYE.

Right.

The old man played along of course.

5/

THIS is gaslighting. The constant barrage of "dont believe your eyes and ears," and it's DRAINING. Saps your ability to think rationally.

Do you feel it?

I know you do.

Can't stop looking can you?

A week ago, I couldn't either.

6/

When I was a kid, I HAD to deal with the gaslighting, I was stuck there. No way to support myself, no outside support.

YOU'RE NOT STUCK IN THIS.

I know some of the people I love like family here sensed me deteriorating, I was getting DOWN.

Hell I was confessing it.

7/

But it wasn't REALITY I was experiencing, it was that fucker squatting in the White House's reality. He dominates EVERYTHING.

Except you.

YOU'RE NOT STUCK IN THIS.

This shit saps your hope, your ability to take challenges head on.

You GOTTA step away, and clear your head.

8/

I just took a week or so away from all of it, and I never left home. I paid nominal attention to the news after the Kavanaugh fiasco and unplugged from ALL things social media.

Know what?

I. Feel. BETTER.

We gotta watch EACH OTHER for obsession, have each other's backs.

9/

Gaslighting will eat you alive inside and if you don't get away to reset your mind, it won't heal. It took me decades to get over the constant lie of "you're a stupid loser," spewed at me daily.

A reality projected upon me I couldn't escape.

But you can.

10/

So I'm imploring you ALL, small voices and large, careerists and activists, young and old, to do something soon:

Take three days off.

I KNOW how intense it is with the elections so close, but you're no good to us shell shocked by gaslighting.

Now go, get outta here.

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