Dr Julie Smith reveals the three signs your gaslighting YOURSELF

A psychologist has revealed the top three signs you are gaslighting yourself – and how to build the confidence you need to stop.

Dr Julie Smith, who posts under ‘Dr Julie’ on Instagram and has a million followers, said people who have been in bad relationships often continue to gaslight themselves once they have escaped.

The first sign is that you blame yourself for everything, she explained in a recent video.

‘You make excuses for other people’s behaviour but if you make a mistake you believe you have made a fundamental about ho you are as a person,’ she said. 

The second sign is that you don’t ‘trust your own judgement’ the clinical psychologist explained.

‘You see the opinions of other people as a much more credible source so you live in an almost constant state of self doubt and look to other people for clarity,’ she said.

The third sign you are gaslighting yourself is when you invalidate or ignore your own feelings.

‘You come to believe you are oversensitive or you overreact and don’t know which emotions to listen to anymore,’ she said.

Dr Julie says people who can relate to the signs are ‘doing the bully’s job for them’.

‘Gaslighting has a devastating impact on mental health,’ she explained.

She says blaming yourself for everything is a huge red flag

‘For those who have experienced abusive relationships in the past, we can internalise the voice of the abuser and learn to treat ourselves in the same way, even long after we have escaped the situation,’ she added.

And it appeared the video was relatable for many.

‘I feel like this all of the time,’ one woman wrote in the comments.

‘Oh my gosh, I do this all the time,’ said another.

‘This is so true, thankyou for the reminder,’ said another.

Building confidence is key to changing these thoughts and behaviours. 

More than 42,000 people liked and commented on the informative post.