Psychoeducation · Trauma responses
Why did I start doubting what I saw or heard?
You might think…
“Maybe I'm remembering it wrong.”
“Maybe I really am too sensitive.”
A closer look
If someone keeps denying what they said or did, twisting your words, or telling you that you're imagining things, you may slowly start to doubt your own memories.
This is called gaslighting. Over time, you may start questioning your own memories even when the other person isn't around. You might wonder if you got things wrong or made too much of what happened.
What matters
It can be hard to make sense of what happened when you're no longer sure you can trust your own memories.
Maybe something they said or did hurt you. But they kept telling you that you'd misunderstood, overreacted, or imagined it. After a while, you may have started doubting yourself.
That doubt can stay with you even when they're no longer around. It can be painful to realize how much you've come to question yourself.
A reminder
They made me doubt my own memories. That was part of the abuse.
I can take what happened to me seriously, even if I still doubt myself.