Gaslighting Hijacks Your Prefrontal Cortex—Not Just Your Confidence

When someone denies your reality, your brain doesn’t just get confused—it activates a full-blown threat response. Cortisol spikes. Your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain that handles logic, language, and perspective—goes offline. That’s why you freeze, feel foggy, or replay the moment obsessively afterward. Your body registers danger long before your conscious mind can make sense of it.

💡 Tip for Dealing with Gaslighting

Retrain your brain to choose truth over survival:

Name what’s happening: Quietly say to yourself, “This is gaslighting. My brain is trying to protect me by shutting down.” Naming the pattern activates awareness and re-engages your prefrontal cortex.

Reconnect to your internal truth: Journal what you experienced before you started doubting yourself. This helps separate your reality from their narrative.

Build a memory of self-trust: After the moment has passed, reflect on what you knew in your body. Write it down. Revisit it. Rehearse it. This is how new neural pathways form.

Practice nervous system safety daily: It’s not just about grounding in the moment—it’s about creating enough safety in your body that truth doesn’t feel like a threat. This takes time, repetition, and compassion—not just tools.

This isn’t just emotional regulation. It’s brain retraining. And every time you choose your truth over their version, you build the inner architecture of self-trust.