014 - The Horror of Gaslighting

The Gaslight Effect

On this episode, Dr. Robin Stern talks with Ian Nichols, co-host of It's Only A Podcast - a horror movie review show.

Robin has been a guest on several of Ian's podcast episodes that explore gaslighting in horror movies.

Ian shares his personal experience with gaslighting, both within a romantic relationship as well as with his parents.

Ian describes himself as an empath and a very emotional person who often cries during emotional moments in his life.

As a child, Ian's parents instilled the thought in himself that he "cried too much." His childhood was marred by abuse, an alcoholic mother, an often distant father, and parents who continually told him he was too sensitive.

Growing up, Ian felt he had to hide the emotional side of himself in friendships and relationships, and he often used humor to deflect away from getting "too emotional."

This ultimately led to Ian falling into a deep depression.

Ian also shares about a relationship in which his partner was from a different culture that didn't value feminity and vulnerablity. This again made Ian feel that something was wrong with him.

Thankfully, Ian was able to work through these issues with a therapist and discovered that he was involved in gaslighting situations with both his parents and in his relationship.

Robin and Ian discuss the importance of having a strong support network to help you process painful interactions with gaslighters...and the value of "healthy emotion snacks!"

To read the full transcript of this episode and to hear other episodes, head over to robinstern.com. And please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to this podcast!