Gaslighting and Doubting Your Own Memory

When Your Account Kept Getting Corrected

People describe hearing things like "that never happened" or "you're too sensitive" so often that they began to edit their own recollections before speaking. Over time, it can feel safer to defer than to trust what you saw and heard. Marie will not ask you to prove what happened or to label the other person. The work centers on how the repeated corrections affected you and what you would like your relationship with your own memory to look like now.

Normal Memory Is Imperfect, and That Is Okay

Part of what makes memory doubt so sticky is that no one remembers everything perfectly. Details blur for everyone. If you were told your imperfect memory meant you were wrong about everything, small gaps can feel like proof against you. In therapy, it can help to separate ordinary forgetting from the larger conclusion that you cannot trust yourself at all. Those are different claims, and CBT gives you a way to examine them separately.

Gentle Ways to Anchor Your Experience

Some people find it steadying to jot down brief, private notes about how they felt during a day, or to notice which memories stay consistent over time. Others prefer talking things through with a trusted friend. These are options to explore, not assignments. If you keep notes, consider where they are stored and who could access them. A therapist can help you choose practices that feel supportive rather than like another round of building a case.

How CBT Can Help

In sessions, Marie may help you notice the automatic thought that appears when you remember something, such as "I'm probably making this up," and look at what supports or complicates it. Over time, the goal is a more balanced inner voice that can tolerate uncertainty without collapsing into self-doubt. Progress looks different for each person, and there is no set timeline. Sessions might include small exercises, such as rating how confident you feel about a memory before and after talking it through, so you can see your own reasoning more clearly.

Reaching Out Safely

If you are in danger now, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233, and you can call or text 988 if you are in crisis. When contacting any therapist online, a short message is enough. A free 15-minute consultation with Marie is a chance to ask about fit, online therapy in Oregon, or current Portland office availability. You do not need to explain what happened in a form or email. Details can wait until a private conversation, when and if you choose to share them.

Questions You May Have