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AA’s Brazen Gaslighting Techniques
Things said and heard at every meeting
There are many words in today’s vernacular whose meanings get distorted. Words like woke and narcissist appear on social media without discretion — and rarely in the proper context.
That got me thinking about the word gaslighting.
The term originates from a British play made into the 1944 film starring Ingrid Bergman.
The play Gaslight is about a husband who mentally and emotionally manipulates his wife into believing she is crazy by changing the intensity of the gas lamps in their home.
The most simple definition of gaslighting is as follows:
The process of manipulating someone into doubting their own thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions.
I couldn’t help but notice how many of AA’s most famous sayings and cliches are perfect examples of gaslighting — and they aren’t even subtle.
They blatantly question your thinking and sanity and blame you when the program isn’t working.
