Understanding Autism: The Long-Term Effects of Gaslighting

While I have not been mistreated for many years, the profound psychological effects of past gaslighting can impact me at any time.

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I broke my lawnmower yesterday. I was tired, stressed, and distracted, and went over something hard that destroyed the blade mounting. It should not have been a big deal. It was an old mower, and I am lucky enough to have the funds to order a new one without a second thought. But just like every single time I get something wrong, or something breaks while I am using it, I was distraught for several hours and kept apologising to my wife, who could not have been less concerned about the mower.

It is well known that if you are told something enough times, you start to believe it, however ridiculous it may initially sound. It is why positive thinking and self-affirmation work, and it is also why some leaders manage to get people to believe just about anything for their own benefit.

If you are autistic, you have probably spent much of your life being told you are difficult, awkward, and dumb. You will have been criticised and probably mocked for your lack of understanding of things that seem obvious to others, while your strengths are underappreciated or ignored altogether.