8 signs your partner is gaslighting you

• Gaslighting is a psychologically abusive form of manipulation that occurs in dating and relationships.
• When someone is gaslighting you, they exert power over you and make you think you’ve lost your ability to think, remember, and rationalize.
• There are several key signs to watch out for. Here’s how to spot it if your partner is gaslighting you.

There are so many dating terms these days, it’s hard to keep up. Some may be more popular than others, such as ghosting — disappearing on the person you’re seeing without a trace — while others may be more dangerous.

Gaslighting falls into the latter category, since it’s a manipulative tool some people use in their romantic relationships.

“Gaslighting is a psychological tactic used to make another person believe they are losing their mind,” Joshua Klapow, a clinical psychologist and host of “The Kurre and Klapow Show,” told Business Insider. “It is literally a manipulative attempt at making another person think they are losing their ability to think, remember, and be rational.”

According to Vox, the term “gaslighting” became popular with the 1944 movie “Gaslight,” which was based on the 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton. In the psychological thriller, a husband, Gregory (Charles Boyer) “gaslights” his wife, Paula (Ingrid Bergman).

Throughout the movie, she questions her sanity, and her husband convinces her she’s acting strange. For example, when Paula notices that the gaslights in the home have been dimmed, Gregory lies and tells her she’s imagining things, which makes her believe she’s going crazy.

Here are some signs of gaslighting to watch out for.

SEE ALSO: I'm a serial 'ghoster' in dating — here's why I do it

1. They deny things you’ve said or done.

Being forgetful sometimes happens to everybody, but gaslighters take “forgetfulness” to a whole other level.

“If your partner begins to call into question things you have said or done by saying they didn’t happen, it’s a sign they may be gaslighting you,” Klapow said. “Or they will make statements about things you have said or done that you know you didn’t do. You may temporarily ask yourself ‘Could this be true?’ or ‘Did I really not say or do that?’”

He said to pay attention to how you are feeling if something doesn’t seem right.

2. They use manipulative language.

Manipulative language is another sign of gaslighting. “Gaslighting is very commonly found in those with narcissistic-personality disorder” relationship therapist Carolyn Cole, told Business Insider.

“It often occurs in abusive relationships, as it is a form of emotional abuse. For example, if you don’t do something they want you to do, they may say something like, ‘Mhmm, you know, if you really loved me, you would do this for me,’” she said.

3. They project what they’re doing onto their partner.

If the gaslighter is guilty of something, they may project it on to their partner instead.

“A common one is if they are cheating,” Cole said. “If so, they will continually accuse their partner of being unfaithful. Maybe the partner has to stay late at work and the gaslighter will say, in an aggressive tone, something like, ‘Sure, you had to stay late at work. Who were you with? Who is she/he?’”