This podcast is intended for mature audiences and discusses topics that could be triggering to some.

Opinions expressed by guests on the show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of this podcast.

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please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-723. If you or someone you love is struggling with a suicidal crisis or emotional distress,

you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24-7 at 1-800-273-8255.

Please note, some of today's episode involves suicidal ideation or thoughts of suicide. Please take care when listening. Thank you.

In Dr. Stephanie Moulton's Sarkis book, Gaslighting, she describes, gaslighters are very seductive. They will sweep you off your feet with love bombing and then drop you off a cliff.

The initial seduction is so strong that when things do go south, it's hard not to feel that you're to blame,

or that somehow you should be able to get that wonderful person back. The initial charm is all part of the game. Relationships with

gaslighters are filled with confusion, disorder, and drama, so much so that it's easy to feel

shame. But being attracted to a gaslighter is no cause for shame. Even brilliant, successful, and otherwise discerning people can be easily

seduced by a gaslighter's many initial charms. Gaslighters crave newness and attention.

Even if you could do everything, quote, perfectly, the gaslighter is still a bottomless pit of

need that can never be filled.

Taking personal responsibility is not a characteristic of gaslighters. They always believe it is

someone else's fault. They rarely feel empathy or remorse. Love bombing, hoovering,

stonewalling, and flying monkeys are tactics gaslighters enjoy using to manipulate those around them. As previously mentioned on the podcast

in season one, love bombing is a common tactic abusers use to hook their victims. Love bombers use excessive affection and

attention in order to gain control or significantly influence your behavior. This includes

showering you with praise, buying you gifts, aligning with your opinions, and spending lots of

...