015- Gaslighting Explained: How to Recognize It, Escape It, and Heal

You’re not crazy — you were conditioned to believe you are.
 In this powerful episode of Beyond Words, Najwa Zebian breaks down one of the most insidious forms of emotional abuse: gaslighting. From subtle lies to complete distortion of your reality, Najwa helps you understand what’s really happening when someone tries to make you doubt your truth.

She unpacks how gaslighters erase your perception of reality, why they do it, and what makes empaths, nurturers, and people-pleasers especially vulnerable. Through stories, examples, and deeply reflective insights, Najwa helps you see clearly through the fog, validate your experience, and reclaim your power.

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 If you’ve ever been told you’re “too sensitive,” “crazy,” or “imagining things,” this episode will help you find clarity, compassion, and strength.

Timestamps / Show Notes:

• 00:00 – You’re not crazy. You were gaslit.
• 01:10 – What gaslighting really is (and isn’t).
• 04:34 – The story of Betty Broderick: A real-life case of gaslighting.
• 07:41 – Why gaslighters do it.
• 10:01 – Why you were “chosen.”
• 13:20 – The DARVO tactic: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender.
• 17:24 – The hook: mirroring and emotional bonding.
• 20:42 – The 5-course meal metaphor.
• 23:41 – From breadcrumbs to confusion.
• 27:10 – The “fog” strategy.
• 29:43 – Words That Found Me: Alan Watts quote.
• 32:54 – Stop stirring the mud.
• 33:55 – You don’t deserve mistreatment — even in your vulnerability.
• 38:42 – Words That Held Me: ‘Delusion’ excerpt from Welcome Home.
• 43:57 – You are not weak. You survived erasure.

Key Takeaways:

• Gaslighting is not confusion — it’s calculated manipulation.
• Empaths and nurturers are often targeted because of their deep capacity for love.
• Stop trying to make sense of the senseless — clarity comes when the fog settles.
• Healing begins when you stop labeling yourself as what they tried to make you.
• Education and awareness are your power.

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who still blames themselves for being gaslit.

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