#Survivorwisdom

New research and firsthand accounts show that people who faced gaslighting in childhood often become adept at spotting manipulation. As conversations about psychological abuse grow in Thailand and around the world, survivors’ insights help explain coping strategies and protective steps.

Gaslighting is manipulation that makes someone doubt their own reality, memory, or perceptions. In Thailand, where family harmony and saving face are valued, such abuse often unfolds quietly and leaves lasting effects that are hard to address openly.

A new wave of psychological research and personal reporting highlights a compelling reality: individuals who grew up amidst gaslighting are exceptionally adept at detecting subtle manipulation tactics—often before others are even aware. As this form of psychological abuse becomes more openly discussed in Thai society and worldwide, fresh insights are deepening our understanding of how survivors not only cope but develop unique, highly tuned systems for self-protection.

Gaslighting—a term coined from the 1944 film “Gaslight”—describes a form of manipulation where a person or group causes someone to question their own reality, memory, or perceptions. In Thailand, where family harmony and face-saving are highly valued, such abuse often unfolds quietly, creating lasting effects that are difficult to resolve publicly.