[Fuzzybear]

I think there may have been another thread about this somewhere. I’m sorry if I’m in the wrong asking this question. I think it’s an important topic and I wasn’t sure where to post this. If it’s in the wrong forum please move it.

I feel that family members and others have often projected negative and even “abusive” traits onto me at times. For example I was accused of “bullying” the maternal unit. I don’t recall that at all, but I remember being bullied by the parental units. Is this projection?

Also what is gaslighting?

[Travelinglady]

Projection is when you accuse other people of faults/feelings/thoughts you have, denying you have them. So, I think your example could be one of it.

Gaslighting is when you do things to make someone think they have a mental problem--like telling them what they really saw was a figment of their imagination.

Maybe somebody else will explain these differently and better!

[healingme4me]

I think that sums it up well. It sounds like manipulation at it's core. Both can be intertwined, gaslighting/projection as I've seen in my own experiences -the gaslighting aspect- as not being such a clean cut entirely conscious deviously masterminded plot as the movie displays in 'Gaslighting'.
And those projecting may honestly not be self aware in knowing this is what they are doing which is where gaslighting steps in.

The important thing is recognizing that there's some sense of dysfunction and abnormal interactions and become secure enough in truth to see it for what it is in order to not be drawn into the abyss.