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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

How do I figure out of it's gas lighting?

1 reply

FlabbyFlam · 13/07/2021 15:33

I'm not sure there's an answer, other than recording every single conversation I have. I'm in a longish relationship - six years and a baby. It's generally a loving relationship, it has been a good one. Although we are arguing more lately. It's a rough patch.

The thing is a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with Adhd. It wasn't really a surprise to anyone, my organisation, tidiness, general ability to lead a stress-free life are sometimes horrifyingly bad. And I have all the feelings of self loathing and failure that come with undiagnosed adhd.

My worst thing is my memory. I forget a lot of stuff. The thing is until recently, I don't think I've ever really forgotten conversations, things I've said or things other people have said. It's usually where I put something 30 seconds ago, or the crucial item I was supposed to take with me, or the time etc.

This last year, I've had a baby my hormones are everywhere, we are a little sleep deprived yes, not massively.

Every argument we have lately, DP generally tells me of something I said, or something he said that floors me. I won't be able to remember it and if it's true, I don't have a leg to stand on in the row. Sometimes it baffles me why I would say or do what he says I did because its either not true or is totally not how I actually think or feel about something.

I've started to suspect theses things aren't true. I've even said, 'are you doing this because we both know my memory is terrible and I can't defend myself' and he said 'no, that would be gaslighting and I wouldn't do that'.

But it's distressing me there seems to be so many details I don't remember. And I still am not convinced. But then, how do I even begin to find out? I can't trust my memory enough to absolutely be 100% sure either way.

OP posts:
TheFoundations · 13/07/2021 15:42

Whether he is gaslighting or not, this is not sustainable. The feeling of being gas...lit(?) is enough to destroy a relationship.

One way of checking is to have a think about whether anybody else is saying similar about you. It's highly unlikely that you're forgetting 50 things a day with your husband, and nobody else who cares about you would see any signs of memory loss.

If he's telling you you've done stuff that's 'not your style', that's another sign. It's either that he's making it up, or he's interpreting something you've said so inaccurately that it would have been better not to speak.

I think you'd be best to say to him that if something bothers him, he needs to mention it at the time. It's not a healthy relationship behaviour anyway, to be bringing up things from last month/week in a discussion you're having today.

Also, if your relationship was previously great, I don't think you'd be suspecting him of this, because you'd trust him. Perhaps there were things happening before that you weren't 100% happy with, but you overlooked rather than make a fuss?

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