> I've noted an irritating tendency in my posts for starting with the
> word "well."

I've always thought that less irritating than "So", which is a misplaced part of speech; unlike "Well", which is a perfectly good phatic utterance (verbal Polyfilla). You remember the story of the three holes in the ground .... ?

.... but I cede to SRS and Merriam Webster: "gaslighting" it is.