Gas lighting in a relationship

Hi all, so my long standing relationship (my only real relationship). I've always felt anxious, confused, gradually lost who I am, at times thought that I was crazy, so much more.

I've spoken to counsellors over the years but its not helped, probably due to the fact that I havent told them exactly whats wrong as I didnt know at the time myself. I thought I was unlucky, stupid, so many things. Upon reflection, most of my huge issues come back down to this one person.

The person who I dont know if I'm coming or going, take his word that he's right I'm wrong, try not to upset as I will get the silent treatment or mean words. The times Ive tried to leave he will make it hard financially or threaten me. Hes then super sweet, like the switch of a button, says I'm too sensitive, it didnt happen etc. I have tried to work out how he switches so quickly and it does scare me. 

You know somethings not quite right but they remind you that their all you have. They make you mad with threats so you retaliate and they give you silent treatment and say things which have no answers but are threats.

I once couldnt cope with his threat so called and called but he ignored my calls. I cant cope with the unknown, I need things tied up, uncertainty makes me uncomfortbale and anxious, was he going to do what he threatened as someone would be in danger! Then he threatens to use the fact I called him so many times to prove I'm crazy to everyone, when really he had threatened me (he actually said yes but people only see me as calm and reasonable, you just react - and he smiled! (this was in the past and I forgave him! I needed to because of the treats he made)

He's actually set up a counselling session before which turned out to be fake! I called the guy out as being fake and walked out of the session. He turned out to be a known hack and was paid to say I needed hypnotherapy! (this sounds made up but sadly its not, I contacted a few people regarding this at the time as I was so mad)

I've been manipulated for 15 or so years, I was convinced it was me! I feel my ASD has been used against me, I truly do.

I'm finally getting help professionally but feel so ashamed and awful, fighting meltdown constantly.

They say I may have to move house, which will mean more change.( I like where I live as I finally have safe immediate neighbours but my husbands family live in the street so I see what their saying)

They mentioned gas lighting, my heads so confused. Abusive relationship was mentioned, I think that doesnt sound like me, I wouldnt be in one of those. I think maybe I have it wrong, Im mistaken. But I have told them truthfully what has been going on as I want help figuring things out (I wrote to the person helping me as I struggle thinking on the phone)

I have way too much empathy I have realised, is this an ASD thing too or just me? I will feel sorry for people and forgive way too easily which has happened with him but then hes also convinced me I'm wrong so I'm confused here.

Im confused why someone would behave like this, does he know how he is acting? I tell him often how I feel. 

I see now why I tried to take my life in the past.

I'm here as this is my safe space, I relate to most people here more than anywhere else. No one usually understands my struggles with people, other than on here

Has anyone else experienced this at all? A bad relationship/gas lighting or similar?

Please tell me I'm not alone and I'm not in the best place so the usual ones who post unhelpful answers I will ignore as usual

Thank you for reading

Parents
  • Hi Mouse - Everything you say is dealing with a classic narcissist - there's lots of psyche videos on youtube about how they function - it's worth watching a couple of them to see how your experience is not uncommon - you may even spot some other aspects of their behaviour that you didn't realise was going on behind your back.    They are nasty, nasty people - but they are always in the right so there's absolutely no way to negotiate with them - you just have to starve them of the attention and reactions they crave by breaking away.

    My sister is a narcissist - I'm currently in the dog house for some reason or another - no Christmas or birthday card for me this year and no contact since October last year - but she doesn't realise that I don't give a crap.      I've had a lifetime of her sh** where she relies on my aspie good nature to forgive and see the good in people - but I know that some people have no good in them.

    She's successfully disabled my 'caring' compulsion so my life is so much simpler with regards to her.      Naturally, I'm fascinated with knowing what I'm supposed to have done this time - but I'm not interested in picking that scab.

    Hope you can find the strength to pull away and starve the beast.

  • Hey Plastic,

    I dont yet understand why they act the way the do, it's so confusing to me. I'm mad that I believed it was me all of these years and actually had a kind of breakdown thinking I was such an awful person. In the past he has hurt himself and whilst doing it, smiled at me and said I was doing it to him! I was yelling and crying to stop (i cant remember the argument as that image was so shocking thats the only thing thats stuck in my mind)

    The messed up part, his parents are the same as him, he is in their control. So when 3 of them constantly said it was me who was wrong, I was mad, I was insane, I was whatever (they said so many things) I believed them as 3 cant be wrong can they? Stupidly I struggled on, trying to figure myself out, work on myself, work out why I caused these things to happen. I was sucked in, I'm so mad at myself.

    I read something as I'm again in the 'dog house' I noticed a loop in his behaviour. How he switches personality like a light going on and off. It puts me on edge.

    I started thinking maybe its learnt behaviour from his parents. But then I remembered when we last split up. I lost our joint aquantances as they didnt know the full story and took his side.

    He would see me around and make threats, I'd ask something and he would walk off leaving me yelling or calling etc wanting to know he wouldnt do that. He would leave me suffering with my thoughts and fears. He actually said to me something like (i forget the exact words) 'I dont let people know anythings wrong where as you react!'  

    Our joint account was wiped, he kept the savings, expected me to pay his share of the bills.

    Why do they act this way? I know that I'm way too empathic which I'm working on. 

    He is always in the right, completly. I remember once he done something nasty and he just said its in the past leave it there. I replied but it was yesterday we havent talked about it. He got annoyed saying its in the past!

    There's no talking, its an anxious miserable life. If i want to read (which I love,) I have to stop and do what he wants to do. Where he has ignored me up until that point to talk to his 1 friend (I have few friends but it strikes me odd his parents and he have no friends yet talk to everyone, have no social difficulties)

    Is it Aspie trait then do you think to see the good in people? I struggle understanding why people are so awful.

    Is your sister like this with everyone or just you? People confuse me, I will now look up some things on you tube thank you. Sorry for the random thoughts on this reply, my heads mixed up and I'm trying not to give the full story as such in case he sees my search history and guesses from the post. I guess Im just on edge

    I wish he could just disappear and have zero contact in my life, but I know that he would want to destroy me with the comments and threats.

  • It's because it's ALL about them.    You are just their plaything/victim/whipping boy.     They are sooooo self absorbed that they have a constant victim/martyr thing going on so everything gets twisted in their mind to make everyone else into the bad guy.       They are able to instantly rewrite or shuffle history on the fly to put you in the wrong - and if you explain the truth, they either attack or cut you off - so they can bad-mouth you to anyone who'll listen.       They like to separate you from any support network and trap you using their 'flying monkeys' to spread lies about you - so you are always on the defence.

    Seriously - watch some of the youtubes on the subject and all will become clear.    All you can do is separate yourself from them and give NO reaction to anything they do - any reaction is what they crave/need.   Don't feed the beast and it will die.   Smiley

    And yes - my sister is like it with everyone - she tries to control everyone around her - even her neighbours - until it all blows up and then she has to move house!  Smiley    We're just waitnig until she falls out with her current neighbours - but I guess we'll never know if we're cut off.   Smiley     She cut me off because I know too much - I am a huge risk to her - I could accidentally tell the truth to someone she's manipulating - so she needs me out of the way.....

  • Exactly where I'm at. I get so uncomfortable lying, i usually blurt out that I wasent truthful! Again not sure if its an asd thing. I think in this instance its my only plan, it doesn't make me feel any better however

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