Harmful Consequences of Silent Treatment On Your Relationship
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Communication breakdown
Communication between partners is the first one to be impacted by one of the partners adopting the silent treatment. When you avoid talking openly about what really bothers you, you stop yourself and the other person from finding solutions and ways to move forward together.
The silent treatment consists in one partner not talking on purpose, to make the other person feel isolated and unseen. As a consequence, the person receiving the silent treatment will do the same next time you argue, thus creating a toxic cycle that will eventually destroy your relationship.
To prevent communication breakdown, experts recommend having an open dialogue with your significant other, really listening to what they have to say and empathizing with them. If you manage to listen and understand one another, you are on a sure way towards a healthy and thriving relationship.
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Feelings of rejection
The person receiving the silent treatment may start feeling rejected and not good enough for their partner. When you adopt this passive-aggressive tactic, your partner might feel abandoned, unwanted and unimportant. These feelings, in turn, cause other negative emotions such as insecurity, sadness, anxiety and low self-esteem.
In time, the person feeling rejected might even become resentful and angry, causing them to want to distance themselves even more. In the end, all these feelings and emotions will affect the relationship’s foundation.
The best approach to repairing a relationship is addressing these negative feelings, communicating and strengthening your emotional connection instead of destroying it brick by brick.
4 Responses
My husband who happens to be a medical doctor would rather give me the silent treatment rather than resolve issues. He shouts me down when i try to talk and share how i feel. He does not listen and would constantly discuss our issues with his mom who always blames me and product negativity onto our marriage then wants to be close to my kids.
How does he expect things to get resolved? Does he not realize what he is doing to us? Is he done with the relationship because that is what I am reading from his actions. He also lies and has cheated on my before but I stayed which he even insults me for when he is angry. I believe he is a narcissist which i have said to him many times in anger but I don’t think i am far from the truth. I also believe his parents are narcissists as well.
Thank you for these useful tips about dealing with people, and understanding the different traits that are in people! It’s like a road map on the why and how of everyday life! Hopefully this will help!
“To prevent communication breakdown, experts recommend having an open dialogue with your significant other, really listening to what they have to say and empathizing with them. If you manage to listen and understand one another, you are on a sure way towards a healthy and thriving relationship.”
I give the ‘silent treatment’ because my wife, no matter how much I try to stay calm, has no intention of LISTENING to what I may want to say. I have suffered this trait of hers for decades. I have no option but to remain silent.
This is a no win situation if your spouse feels this is the correct way to get you to go her way. It’s a rap, because no matter what you are wrong in her eyes and you got to pay for making her feel this way.