Silent Treatment In Relationships Quotes & Sayings

truth hit me in that moment. All my life, I've been running. Running to the next greatest thing. An adventurer. A thrill seeker. Hungry for more. If things got hard, fight or flight. I would kick and scream for a while, and when that didn't yield the proper results, I would take flight. It happened in my closest relationships. Including my arguments with Gabe. If I was not able to win or be understood, I'd grow silent and escape. Far away. To a place that allowed me to maintain control. But the silent treatment and hibernation never brought relief; instead, I felt abandoned by my own doing. All alone. By my own choosing. This defense of self-preservation left me on the altar of self-destruction. My greatest fear is feeling trapped - it has followed me all my life. — Rebekah Lyons

In real, adult relationships however, the "silent treatment" can be a vicious weapon when used with an undertone of intimidation or as a way to exert control, deliver insult, or imply the lack of worth of the other person. The message is, "Why should I even waste my breath on you?" To be clear, I'm not talking about learning to drop a subject and stop clashing over it, or walking away from an obviously damaging argument. I'm referring to the purposeful ignoring of or refusal to talk to your partner as a form of punishment. — Aubrey Cole