SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — In a year like the one we’ve had, Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s word of the year is no surprise — gaslighting.

Gaslighting seems to be far too common these days, so this Wellness Wednesday we’re discussing what it is and what you can do if it happens to you.

Mary Jo Horton, Memorial Health’s manager of Behavioral Health, walked through some ways to cope.

Gaslighting:
• Attempting to manipulate someone psychologically to have them question reality
• Takes many forms but always includes invalidating someone’s experience
• Creates a power dynamic that can lead to abusive situations

What to do:
• We want to rely on our values and our internal mental processes, not external validation
• Seek relationships and situations which nourish our mental health
• Use boundaries as it removes judgment, and creates safety
• Strengthen emotional resiliency to decrease the vulnerability to manipulation