Silent Treatment In A Relationship

What Is The Meaning Or Definition Of Silent Treatment In A Relationship:

Every romantic relationship or marriage is full of conflicts and challenges. One of the most destructive ways of dealing with disputes is by giving a silent treatment by turning on the mute button. The silent treatment is a behavior known as the demand-withdrawal pattern. The silent treatment is one way of the withdrawal component in the demand-withdrawal pattern. When one partner demands something and that something is not fulfilled, it leads to withdrawal or silent treatment.

Silent Treatment Means Complete Lack Of Communication In A Relationship:

Silent treatment in relationships is an age-old issue and is not new to relationship problems. It is cited as one of the major factors leading to serious relationship issues. It is a direct result of less satisfaction and lower levels of intimacy. Of course, poor or almost lack of communication is the end result. It’s a very negative sign, and this kind of pattern must be broken before it breaks the relationship itself.

Reasons And Cause Of Silent Treatment In A Relationship:

The leading cause of silent treatment is the feeling of hurt and hesitation in talking about them. The person giving the silent treatment and the person receiving it are both equally responsible for such a situation. Both, in some way, are the victim as well as the culprit. Victims because they are the ones who have to go through it and culprits because they are the ones who collectively started it. Women are more likely to be demanders, while men tend to withdraw more.

How To Respond To Silent Treatment In A Relationship:

One thing not to do is start the blame game as that won’t resolve the conflict. The silent treatment gets worse when the person receiving it gets more frustrated due to a lack of response from the other side. This frustration often leads to even more demands. The higher demands lead to more withdrawal. So it becomes like a self-devastating vicious cycle. What started as something small has now become dynamite. The final result is usually arguing about the silent treatment instead of dealing with the issues at hand.

Silent Treatment In A Relationship Is Considered As Abusive:

Exercising silent treatment is detrimental to a relationship. It increases the emotional stress and tension between a couple. Most couples practice silent medicine because of some psychological issues. They are more likely to have a history of anxiety or depression. Substance abuse may also be one of the factors.

Solution To Silent Treatment In A Relationship:

The only solution to resolving is first to break the spiraling cycle. Next, open the channels of communication. Both partners play some role in giving the silent treatment. It may be helpful to agree to disagree on specific issues. It’s important to talk with a cool, calm, and collective mind.

Silence Leads To Unresolved Conflicts And Talking Leads To Problem Fixing In A Relationship:

It is also important to acknowledge the part that each partner played in the silent treatment. Understand that remaining silent can never be the solution to any problem. Things get resolved by talking and not by remaining silent. Both partners must be willing to listen. Avoid blaming each other, instead own your mistakes.

How To End Or Come Out Of Silent Treatment In A Relationship:

Realize that the only way to end the silent treatment is by breaking the silence. It is imperative for a couple to have open and transparent communication. Never make the mistake of burying things deep inside your heart. Open your heart and pour out everything that’s inside it. After all, you are in a relationship to lead a more intimate life with your partner and not to create a wedge or an invisible wall in between. So break all the barriers and build a bridge straight from your heart to your partner’s. If you keep the roads of this bridge unclogged, you would never even have to deal with silent treatment in your relationship.

Giving A Cold Shoulder Is The Same As Silent Treatment In A Relationship:

A romantic relationship is supposed to be a hot intimate affair between two people. However, sometimes one or both partners start giving a cold shoulder. It is the intentional exclusion of one partner from another’s life. One person acts like the other person doesn’t even exist. It may include creating all sorts of barriers that ultimately leads to ignoring the other person.

Silent Treatment Mean Ignoring A Partner In A Relationship:

The most critical component of giving a cold shoulder is by ignoring everything the other person says or does. There is a complete break of all sorts of communication. There may also be physical barriers where one person tries to avoid even being in the same room at the same time. In short, it is total ignorance of even the mere existence of the other person even if they are living together.

Silent Treatment Is A Form Of Punishment In A Relationship:

The main reason for showing a cold shoulder to a partner is giving them some form of punishment for something wrong they might have done or something that is not acceptable. We all are fully aware of the fact that human beings are social animals. It becomes almost impossible for us to function without social interactions. When all social ties or interactions are cut, it amounts to being punished.

Silent Treatment Leads To Taking Control By One Partner In A Relationship:

In all fairness, giving a cold shoulder is a direct form of punishing a partner. It’s a way for one partner to take control over the other by completely ignoring them but still not physically abandoning them. It has more to do with emotionally punishing the other person by depriving them of love and affection. The person giving the cold shoulder gets all the focus and is perceived to be in the driver’s seat.

Silent Treatment Is An Aggressive Act Intended To Emotionally Hurt Someone In A Relationship:

When one partner gives the cold shoulder to the other person, it is an aggressive act intended to hurt or harm the other person emotionally. It goes against all the norms set for having a healthy relationship. It demonstrates a total lack of affection or care for the other person. For some people, it can even be more hurtful than even ending the relationship. All these things can lead to loss of self-confidence and depression. Hence too much of it may even amount to emotional abuse.

Never Assume Anything And Alway Talks Things Out:

The biggest mistake people make in resolving the cold shoulder syndrome is by guessing or reading the other person’s mind. One should not guess because they could be totally wrong. They may end up working on treating something that is not even a problem. So always know what actually is bothering the other person instead of reading their mind.

Never Reciprocate Silence With Silence:

Another mistake to avoid is to restrain from giving the cold shoulder back and making things even worse. Doing so will further complicate matters. Instead, make your partner feel that you care about them and want to know what is bothering them. Sometimes, all it takes is a little initiative to open the door of communication. So invite your partner to open up so that you put it behind you.

Reply Cold Silence With Warm Talks:

When one partner shows a cold shoulder, the other person needs to rub that same shoulder in order to warm it up. There should be no place for anything that is even remotely cold in a relationship. As soon as you feel any coldness in your relationship, proactively talk with your partner and resolve things before they turn into a big issue. If you can do that, your relationship will forever remain as warm and compassionate as it was at the beginning.

Silent Treatment In A Relationship Or Marriage Is Like Showing A Cold Shoulder And Totally Ignoring The Other Person As If They Don't Even Exist