Adult Children of Gaslighters

Adult children of gaslighters can have some pretty unique problems. For various reasons, and in so many ways, they just don’t trust themselves. And sadly, in their self-doubt, they too often look for reassurance in the wrong ways and places.

Children need to be able to trust. They’re inherently dependent, and in many ways. So, they necessarily need to rely on their caretakers. And they especially need to believe those caring for them have their best interest at heart. Last week, I wrote about what can happen when that turns out not to be true. And this week, I want to explore how adult children of gaslighters sometimes inadvertently repeat unhealthy patterns they experienced growing up.

The Torture of Doubt

It’s a particular kind of torture for a child to harbor doubts about a parent’s regard for them. A child naturally wants to trust. But when their gut tells them it isn’t safe it sets up a real dilemma. A child who wants to believe in a parent’s motives but simply cannot do so safely is in a real bind. Moreover, the inner emotional conflict that rages about that can be pure torture.

The problem becomes even worse when a narcissistic parent has good manipulative skill.  Such a parent can make a child hesitate to ever trust their own instincts and judgment. Narcissistic parents use a child’s conscientiousness against them. A child naturally wants to do right and be right. But a skilled narcissistic manipulator will have them convinced they always have it wrong. This can set up the unhealthy pattern of deference. That’s the pattern of deferring too often to those who’ve convinced you they know better.

Children of a narcissistic parent also learn to accommodate. They figure out quickly that the road to peace is paved with placating and deference. Make mom or dad look good. Make them feel good. Be a positive reflection on them. Be anything, except yourself, and all is well.

How Patterns Sometimes Repeat

Several studies have confirmed what I suspected in the early research leading to In Sheep’s Clothing and Character Disturbance. Adult children of gaslighters often have an impaired sense of self. Accordingly, such folks tend to be the covert narcissist’s favorite prey. The typical scenario goes like this: You meet someone who seems to have it all together. And they have all the confidence you wish you had. That’s attractive in itself. But what’s really appealing is the interest they show in you. Somehow, they make you feel special. And the more interest they show the more it boosts your sagging ego. The hook is definitely in at that point. And it will likely be years before you realize that mere interest is not the same as genuine regard. (For more on this see: Abuse Victims Mistake Interest for Regard.)

As mentioned earlier, narcissists who abuse look for two traits in those they target. And sadly, adult children of gaslighters often fit the bill well. Narcissistic abusers want partners who tend to be accommodating and willing to defer. That keeps them in the position they crave in relationships – a position of dominance. But it won’t be long until they start abusing that position. Unfortunately, most of the time this is a slow, incremental process. So, the victim only realizes things after it’s too late and a lot of damage has been done. We’ll explore this dynamic in more depth next week.