The silent treatment in relationships
Many studies have been conducted about the silent treatment in familial relationships and romantic relationships and the outcome showed that those who used the silent treatment against their parents had self-esteem issues and the parents who used it on their children reported that the children felt like they had no control within the relationship.
Moreover, in romantic relationships, the partners who used the silent treatment were less committed to their relationship than those who don't.
MORE IDEAS FROM THE ARTICLE
- Admit that something is wrong.
- Openly address conflict without yelling or chastising the other person.
- Work on your listening skills and actively listen to each side.
- Collaborate to solve problems. It's you and them vs the problem, not you vs them.
- Learn to accept rifts that would never go away.
The silent treatment works depending on your goal.
If you're trying to show that you're upset and aren't really pushing for a meaningful change in the relationship, then yes. It will get the other person's attention but it more often creates more frustration than fix underlying problems.
When the silent treatment becomes a pattern it becomes detrimental to the mental health of both parties involved.
RELATED IDEAS
In a relationship, a partner uses ‘the silent treatment’ on the other to make them feel hurt, punished and alienated, manipulating their emotions.
Being isolated or ghosted by a partner is a sort of abuse that hurts more than being yelled or shouted at.
Passive communicators go along with the other person’s ideas, narratives and suggestions. They avoid conflicts and confrontations. They appear anxious, afraid of disapproval and are often having poor eye contact or posture.
In a relationship, these people bottle up their emotions and do what their partner plans or does. It is a ‘doom scenario’ if both partners are passive.
Good relationships take commitment and effort.
The challenge for couples is cultivating a mature and trusting love that is the key to a lasting relationship.