Stonewalling
Stonewalling is a persistent refusal to communicate or to express emotions. It is common during conflicts, when people may stonewall in an attempt to avoid uncomfortable conversations or out of fear that engaging in an emotional discussion will result in a fight.
What Is Stonewalling?
Conflict, particularly in close relationships, can be overwhelming and may feel unbearable. When faced with a potential conflict, one partner may stonewall, or completely refuse to communicate. Stonewalling can include avoiding a discussion of one’s feelings, refusing to give nonverbal communication cues, walking out in the middle of a discussion without warning or explanation, or simply refusing to discuss the issue at hand. This tactic can be distressing when the other partner does wish to discuss an area of conflict, and the lack of communication might often cause extreme anger and frustration.
Stonewalling occurs on a continuum, and it can range from refusing to discuss a problem for a brief period of time to completely withdrawing for months. The stonewalling practice of leaving during a discussion differs from leaving a discussion for a brief period of time to calm down before returning: Such a cool-down period might be beneficial to a discussion, but in stonewalling, the point is not to continue talking later but to avoid doing so entirely.
Is Stonewalling Abuse?
Stonewalling is often born of frustration and fear, and when it is used alone, it may occur as the result of a desire to decrease tension in an emotionally overwhelming situation, or in an attempt to self-soothe. John Gottman, a marriage therapist who did extensive research on stonewalling in partnerships, found men often react to disagreements with more signs of physiological stress than women do, and thus, they have been shown to be more likely to stonewall than women, often in an attempt to remain neutral or avoid conflict.
Stonewalling can also be a manipulative or controlling strategy. When stonewalling is deliberate, the partner who refuses to communicate is often drawing the situation out and preventing the other partner from seeking out other options to address the conflict or even end the relationship. People who are stonewalled by others may feel hopeless and experience a loss of control or self-esteem. Stonewalling is often a way to gain power over a partner while seemingly doing nothing, though it is often used in combination with threats and isolation.The Effects of Stonewalling
Stonewalling can have disastrous effects on a relationship. Gottman, who reports that he can predict divorce with near-100% accuracy, calls stonewalling one of the “four horsemen” that indicate the likelihood of divorce. Because stonewalling inhibits a couple’s ability to resolve conflicts, it can cause petty disagreements to escalate out of control. When people experience stonewalling, they may react with desperation and say or do anything to get the stonewalling to stop. The extreme frustration that may be felt by the partner being stonewalled might also lead to a more serious conflict than the original issue may have warranted. Thus, it is not just stonewalling itself that causes problems, but also the reactions it can lead to.
Therapy for Stonewalling
In a partnership where one partner often resorts to stonewalling tactics, both partners may benefit from a revision of communication tactics. It may be helpful for both partners to understand why the stonewalling takes place, and a couples therapist may be able to assist with the exploration of this issue. Because a relationship where communication and cooperation are lacking is unlikely to be successful in the long term, couples therapy may help with the strengthening of communication in a partnership affected by stonewalling.
Stonewalling may be a defensive tactic learned in childhood, or it may be a result of difficulty expressing oneself emotionally. In either case, a therapist may be able to help with both examination and resolution of the issue, and in therapy, new tactics to express emotions and cope with conflict can be explored.
References:
- Lisitsa, E. (2013, May 20). The four horsemen: Stonewalling. Retrieved from http://www.gottmanblog.com/four-horsemen/2014/10/30/the-four-horsemen-stonewalling?rq=stonewalling
- Lisitsa, E. (2014, March 12). Self care: Stonewalling part ii (the research). Retrieved from http://www.gottmanblog.com/archives/2014/10/31/self-care-stonewalling-part-ii-the-research?rq=stonewalling
- Research FAQs. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions about Dr. Gottman’s research. Retrieved from http://www.gottman.com/49853/Research-FAQs.html
- Samsel, M. (n.d.). Stonewalling in abuse. Retrieved from http://www.abuseandrelationships.org/Content/Behaviors/stonewalling.html
Last Updated: 07-18-2018
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Laurel L
February 4th, 2015 at 8:02 AMIn North Atlanta and in search of a great therapist recommendation for dealing with Stonewalling .
I call it 38 years of torture , not knowing that this particular behavior was a ” condition ” that can be treated . Now, having just found out , I am hoping for hope that my husband and I can live out our remaining years with some peace and understanding. He has consented to getting help .
Any suggestions?
Feeling continuously challenged and beaten ! -
Kd
July 17th, 2016 at 10:31 PMThanks for this information. It’s very informative and explanatory as to how small things can become so large, and how intense frustration can lead to secondary issues. This is a huge issue in my marriage, the lack of power I feel from stonewalling will, like the article says, have me doing anything to stop the stonewalling, even when it means making the situation worse. It does feel like a lose lose, not to mention, like Mike D- feeling as if my feelings are not at all considered or empathized with. It’s highly distressful and does effect my self esteem.
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TMM
August 3rd, 2017 at 8:12 PMRun away! I am glad to find out there’s a definition for this behavior. I labeled him as emotionally retarded. I have been in physically and mentally abusive relationships in my past but being in love with someone that’s emotionally abusive is the worst. You have to break free to heal and know that you can’t change anybody that doesn’t want to change. You’re throwing punches in the air. Walk away with what dignity you have left and do not look back! That’s what I have done and I am crying inside but he will never have the privilege to see my tears.
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Cedric C.
August 19th, 2017 at 5:05 PMI need help
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The GoodTherapy.org Team
August 19th, 2017 at 7:02 PMDear Cedric,
If you would like to consult with a mental health professional, please feel free to return to our homepage, https://www.goodtherapy.org/, and enter your zip code into the search field to find therapists in your area.
Once you enter your information, you’ll be directed to a list of therapists and counselors who meet your criteria. From this list you can click to view our members’ full profiles and contact the therapists themselves for more information. You are also welcome to call us for assistance finding a therapist. We are in the office Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time; our phone number is 888-563-2112 ext. 1.
Kind regards,
The GoodTherapy.org Team -
Beyondhope
October 27th, 2017 at 10:20 PMI sympathise with all victims of stonewalling. I have endured 26 years of it and being old school have stuck with him as he has some excellent qualities, has been a good provider and all those things essential in a relationship. He is good with the macro, hopeless with the micro. When I say something he doesn’t like he goes into a silence which makes me want to scream. It can go on for ages, hours or days. When this used to happen I would generally be the ice breaker but can no longer be bothered to make the effort, which is corrosive. The other day I threw my breakfast at him just to get a reaction.
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Greg
February 16th, 2020 at 4:35 PMI couldn’t agree with you more! I’m in the same situation for 17 years . She refuses to ever work anything out. Silent treatment and excuses . As the smiths said “I know it’s over”
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Lucinda
May 6th, 2017 at 9:12 PMMy heart goes out to all who are in this most horrible state. I just found out there is a name for this behavior, 15 minutes ago. I have been going through a great deal of pain from different circumstances and , this time, I really thought he would listen and care but while talking to him I met the same behaviors I did not even know had a name; Stonewalling. I believe he is truly a master of this Stonewalling. Because he refuses to do anything other than this technique, I will have two choices: spend another 20 years with someone who does not care, or build myself esteem up, do all necessary things to break free and leave. Yes, I will be leaving. Now that I know there is a name for this behavior, it will help me to stop expecting any support from him. I know it sounds easier than it will actually be but I deserve respect, kindness, empathy, sympathy, thoughtfulness, love, kindness, and all of the what I perceive as the respect that goes into a healthy, loving relationship. My heart is broken. Period. I deserve better, far better than what I have settled for. My wishes for all of you are the same as I want for myself. I wish you the very best and good luck!
Lucinda -
Tracy
May 9th, 2017 at 7:40 AMHello Lucinda,
I can totally relate to what you have said, I too have been in a relationship with a man who deflects and stonewalls me period, it leaves me feeling totally down right miserable no it leaves me broken.
I am glad there is a name for this behavior as I thought I was going crazy……. I think I’m going crazy.
I just wanted to say me reading your words, are the words I wanted to describe but couldn’t, as it just didn’t seem to make sense to me, I couldn’t describe how I was feeling …but I’m so relieved to know you’ve said it for me, I still feel shit yes, I’m feeling totally used and conned.
But I’m so glad I finally understand that this man who says he loves me, is so self absorbed he couldn’t love me…… He doesn’t see there’s a problem it’s all me……
I know it’s not me, it’s him total arsehole.
I deserve better and I’m scared too of letting go ….but first things first Ive realised its called deflecting and stonewalling. Its not me it’s him.
Thank you for allowing me to vent on your page.
I’ve appreciated it greatly
😊 -
Heather H
May 26th, 2017 at 8:38 AMI agree with Tracy and Lucinda. I’ve been in a stonewalling relationship for over 20 years. The last 9 years became a bit better after therapy, but more and more I see my partner reverting back to his old ways of stonewalling. He’ll even threaten me with – this is why I don’t communicate before he begins this behavior again. Yes, the common theme is a petty argument that spawns out of control. As Tracy mention “He doesn’t see there’s a problem it’s all me……” I’m more frustrated today than every – as I trusted that therapy would help him, yet – he’s choosing to not use the skills that he is suppose to use. Before he exhibited this stonewalling behavior we got into a petty argument – that went into him digging up things from 10 and 15 years ago…and asking me to own those things. I refuses to walk in the past with him. I told him that he cannot move forward with me, if he continues to do this.
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Mindy A
May 31st, 2017 at 11:34 AMHi Lucinda , it’s unfortunate that we have so much in common.. I been with my husband 17 yrs and I never knew this word “stonewalling” . My husband has NEVER not one time ever talked about Or worked through a argument or a disagreement with me. He is emotionally,mentally and at times physically abusive … Everything must be his way and he must have control at all times.. I could write for 20 hours and still not get everything I have been through out… I have 4 children and I’m trying so hard to keep my marriage together for them .. but as the days , weeks , months and years go by I can feel myself losing a little more and a little more of who I am.. I suffer from depression and anxiety. My husband is just impossible… I have to find a way to get enough strength and energy to stand on my OWN 2 feet again… You are 100% right you do deserve to be treated with respect, kindness , compassion and feel cared about… I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE VERY BEST… GOOD LUCK ..
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Jill T.
June 1st, 2017 at 2:07 PMI have been in a relationship with a very wonderful man for 2 1/2 years now. I have noticed here lately anytime I want to discuss anything that’s bothering me, usually about his past, he gets fidgety make faces like he’s being tortured, says things under his breath does anything to get out from hearing what I have to say, I find it very rude and almost a uncaring attitude. The weird thing is will be getting along great ,and when we are getting along great, I feel closer to him like that’s when I have my opportunity to talk to him about something but it always back fires on me I end up apologizing feeling bad for bringing anything up, he almost makes me feel like he’s ready to break up with me just for wanting to have a conversation . Today I tried to talk to him about his issues with his ex-wife which are very painful to me and he ended up telling me that he would rather be dead than argue, I was being very sweet and my conversation a little emotional, did not raise my voice or curse just wanted to talk to him, I ended up feeling like the bad guy instead of the victim. I told him since he hated to discuss anything which is what we do when we do it, it’s a discussion he thinks it’s an argument, I told him I would just start talking to someone else. The thing these men do not realize is when we feel like we are all alone emotionally and cannot have a voice that’s when women do stupid things where they cheat or not, and I despise a cheater, I don’t want to feel like that will be an option one day, just because he hates hearing anything except for the weather, politics ,sports etc. which we have great conversation with everything else, I’m at a loss because I truly love this man and feel like he is my soulmate, I have been in love only one other time and I was a young teenager, I am 53 and I just found love again, my personality I am very expressive and I like to talk things out so it’s like I’m having to let a part of my soul die because he is selfish or whatever he is being. He also has commitment issues due to a ex wife that cheated three times that he knows of. I can’t imagine going the rest of my life without a voice. He says I start something every two weeks, which is bullshit! I guess it’s nice to put ones head in the sand and not want to hear anything but rock and roll, I am not nagging or anything close, but I am an adult that likes to let my significant other know what’s going on in my head and in my heart.
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Jo
June 28th, 2017 at 11:36 AMI completely know how everyone feels. I’m giving a relationship a second go with my ex. I thought he had changed but he is still doing this. It is so frustrating and hurtful and like everyone is saying in this forum
Shows no respect for how I feel. I am wondering whether I have done the right thing giving him another go. It might be better to cut my loses and move on rather than be ignored. He lives 2 hours away from me which is hard enough but to then have to deal with someone who can resolve conflict is exhausting. Luck luck to all those ladies dealing with this issue. Have enough respect for yourself to know you deserve better and not everyone will treat you like this. -
Lauren
July 12th, 2017 at 10:35 AMGood for you. I would leave too. I never understood this definition before. Goodness! I’m not alone in experiencing a spouse like this! It’s hard as we are pregnant and all my spouse does is lie and I suspect the same he is lying to his therapist too as today I was blamed for a lot of issues. I want to leave him as a spouse. I love him as a friend, as a partner, no. My child. I don’t want her in a broken home. I just couldn’t. Maybe in 20 years I can actually get freedom.
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ND
August 1st, 2017 at 10:51 AMMy partner went to work away for 16 weeks and decided to stay without discussing it with me. He went to USA, so it wasn’t a train ride away…. so his tactic was to stonewall me for almost 4 months as he was frightened to tell me what was going on. He stonewalls with small things … anything confrontational that needs to be addressed.. done it with his ex and made out she was nuts but he drove her totally insane by the looks of it…
Stonewalling ..it has brutally broken me. I have sat in agony for months wondering what I have done wrong… comes home for a little holiday and turns up full of apologies.. goes back and does the exact same thing over another issue.. won’t take my calls and rarely responds to my messages..
It’s only now that I know this is an actual thing… and a form of control and abuse…
small things get turned into giant mountains as he is such a coward and won’t talk. He used it to control me so I couldn’t take any action in the relationship…but he uses it almost daily with everyone in his life. He is a selfish person and is emotionally detached completely….. but they are clever you see… they like control…
found the strength to walk away now.. but hurting terribly and feel so low..
I love him so much but I cannot allow my daughter to be brought up witnessing this behaviour and thinking it’s accepatable to be treated this way. It has made me feel worthless and absolute hopelessness and I wouldn’t wish this abuse on anyone as it’s crippling.
My heart goes out to everyone that has been subjected to this abuse.
Save yourself whilst you can as there are people out there who are kind and gentle and You all deserve better.
No one deserves this kind of abuse. And real love wouldn’t allow another person to go to bed at night in pain… these people know what they are doing..
Good luck to everyone.. -
June
August 22nd, 2017 at 2:19 PMTotally empathise. For nearly 38 years I dare not challenge him, try to discuss anything he doesn’t want to, say or do something he doesn’t like. I get the silent treatment. Totally. Walks passed me indoors and doesn’t even acknowledge I’m in the room. In 1993 this went on for 9 months after I upset him over something minor. I am now into my 2nd week of not being spoken to after daring to ask him about something I discovered which could have serious implications for me. It’s been turned around to make me feel dreadful/in the wrong for checking up on something in the first place. It needed addressing but I get those familiar sinking feelings knowing that if I do have to discuss things, albeit calmly, I will be met with complete silence and being ignored for weeks as “punishment”. To put a name to this has actually helped define it. Enough. I deserve so much better.
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Beyondhope
October 27th, 2017 at 10:23 PMLucinda, you are indeed a very brave lady, I wish you all the best for the future and that you will find happiness
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Secret
December 20th, 2017 at 6:01 AMHi all, I have exactly the same story as you Lucinda and laurel I have been with my husband for 39years and this has been going on for just as long and I begged and cried for him to talk to me as he can go for months and months just acting as no5hing is wrong emotionally detached, his father was the same with his mother and he treated her terribly. I have now started mirroring him his actions as I have fallen out of love with this man years ago but stayed as I have no family or anywhere to go. I have now had enough of the stonewalling and I am developing courage to leave, cause if I don’t I will be so miserable with what remaining years I have left, and I want to travel overseas and he doesn’t. I came into some money and as it was something not budgeted for, I offered to take him overseas but he wanted me to keep the money till retirement, with the life I have had with him, my health is not too good and I said I wanted to travel now while I can and not leave it to the kids, he said I was selfish as I didn’t want to leave it to him, as I wanted to spend it before I die…I want to be free to be myself as I have to watch everything I say as he throws it back at me when he does talk. I told him I didn’t want sex all the time, so now it is my fault we don’t have any at all, no physical contact only a peck good bye in the morning and a peck good night as I said something many years ago when he stonewalled me he didn’t kiss me at all, so now I get the pecks
I don’t want to become like him so I need to get out now, as I am very unhappy. -
chris
March 3rd, 2018 at 2:55 PMWow. I too didnt know his behavior had a name. he wont leave. I have offerred him the pickup and trailer as a jump off bonus. Yes i make all the money and the house is mine. I imagine if he left then i know he would still be at the house because he has nothing to get started. We have all we need. nice life. But he is an abject jerk who freaks out and will scream at me before he will discuss mundane matters like which widget to buy. His response is completely emotional. I know his dad was mentally and physically abusive and also apparently taught him that it is his duty to refuse to sit down and discuss. the silent treatment.. haha i wish. What i get is a screaming tantrum. My dream life is to be anywhere and to have a good girlfriend nearby or even live with. No desire to try marriage again but first it seems impossible to get out. If i left… i just cant picture him standing by watching that and i cant picture him getting out because we r in his hometown with his best bud. Hate this. I ask Jesus for help and know that i am in the wrong because i cant hear Jesus’ response.
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Deborah
August 11th, 2018 at 11:17 AMI’ve been married for 25 years and totally agree with what you have said. I have been in a sexless marriage for many years and have wondered if porn caused this behavior. On a daily basis: My husband is just there, nothing beyond that. He cut off the sex years ago. I don’t know what is wrong with him. Some people have sex forever. I may be older but never thought it would be like this. The stonewalling happens 24/7. I can’t talk about anything political and he views everything I say as political. I don’t know who he is as a person at all. He told me some lies in the beginning before I married him. I specifically had asked him if he believed in God and he told me yes. However a few years later, his sister mentioned he was an atheist. He should have been truthful. Now, I don’t care to ever have sex with him or do anything such as vacation with him. I am waiting for when I decide to divorce or die. He lives in one end of the house and I live in the other. I don’t know who I’m married to.
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Antonio C O.
May 14th, 2019 at 12:25 PMHey I go thrught the same thing. once were talking i tell her. That when she doesnt feel like me talking to let me know . because we have 3 children that need attention. Her stonewalling even almost goes to the children., I see it as a form of being possesed by a demon entity. Not the Person you fell in love with . Thats for sure.
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Kim
November 16th, 2019 at 8:53 PMThis is a torture game. Ive been sucked into for 17 years. Funny but try this one on sometime. Do it to him. Watch their reaction. I believe this a pathetic attempt to get their own way like a 2 year old. They are grown up people that are fully aware that they are causing another person they claim to love a ton of distress hurt and confusion. Id like to flick their lips. They are self centered egotistical as***. We need to set up a convention for us ..me you and anyone that has had the patience and heart to love a as* like this. We deserve to know one another. I vote we put one together meet total strangers and i bet you we know were worth more and go find better after. Life short…
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Nichole
January 5th, 2020 at 1:06 AMTracy I just wanted to say that I too experience this in my relationship but recently me and my daughter have started a class for families to come and learn and grow and understand each other so we can better our family .its like a parenting class but for the whole family. They thought is about all the t nu rings that mo.s and dads and kids all do. And I guess parents have a way of never letting g as o.wthing go. The will continuslly bring them up or use then in instances . And that I see is what your doing. Hey I do it a the time. But truth be told he may be behaving g in an unhealthy way that hurts you but your are counter reacting back in the same unhealthy way as well. People cannot assume that the other one will ever change the way they are because they are undoubitly thinking g the same way . And they’re waiting for you to make the changes you need to make. By doing this most often neither parties ever change . Someones gotta be the one to initiate the change, doi g this may just be what the other one needs to see In order to break down their walls and make an effort . No one wants to be the one to fold because that would be like attmiting they were the one who was wronge.
But if you wanna say the relation ship then do what it takes even if sc sucks.
Think of it like this; if you feel you’ve hit a dead end just say, “hey nothing I’ve done so far had worked , so I think I just try to do th opposite of what I normally would. Which is just let it all go. Stop bringing up past stuff . Nothing can go back and change so way dwell on them . You might be surprised at the effects it could have. Really what do you got to loose. If it do t work you’ll be no worse off . Right. -
Nichole
January 5th, 2020 at 1:15 AMTracy I also was gonna say that now that we are informed that this has a name we can change how we perceive our men. Maybe instead of labeling them as self absorbed , we could say hey maybe this Is treatable like any other disorder. Theres still hope yet.
Good luck to all of us going through this. -
Maddie
October 20th, 2023 at 9:21 PMOh my god i keep being told im moaning but now i know there is a word for the way this man talks to and treats me even though whether theres a word or not it aint right so so sick of it havent spoke to him for nearly two weeks…he never ever apologises tries to kiss me and act like nothing has happened but nah I can’t do it anymore..he does nothing at home i work six days a week run a house book drs dentist appointments etc he comes home falls asleep and then talks to me like im some bloke in the pub..aaaahhhh need to get out but my boys are my world..so lonely and lost
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Wendy
July 19th, 2017 at 6:33 AMIt is torture and I have been dealing with it since our first conflict or disagreement. I feel so enraged when he does it now I cant even think straight. I feel as if I am being emotionally abused. Last night we were going to discuss an issue…we agreed upon it and I was kind of hopeful that meant he was learning something in therapy. We talked for about 5 mins and I saw him start to slump in his chair, look away and became totally unresponsive. Next thing I know he gets up and walks out of the room. This happens so frequently I feel like I could throttle him. I told him either he can sit and talk like an adult or he could leave….so he left. Sad part of this whole dialogue is I didn’t care. I was glad, relieved and probably grateful in a way. I now know the answer to a question that plagues me “Can I live like this?” We had just come off a 6 day stonewalling over absolutely nothing and here we are….again? Nope! Whether I feel afraid, like a failure etc…there are no more chances. This is unfair and manipulative on his part and we have discussed it so many times after a “punishment” period of anywhere from 3-7 days of ignoring me for usually NOTHING that I have finally decided it is over.
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Susan
July 22nd, 2017 at 9:03 PMGlad to know that I’m not just nuts….that there is a name for this reaction, or lack of reaction. My husband refuses to discuss anything. And he hides things from me, like important mail……..so I won’t see what is really going on. And he lies. One of the last big ones was when he quit working. When I found out on Linked In that he had not been with his employer for 6 months, his only response was that he didn’t want to upset anything before our daughter’s wedding. My daughter just celebrated her 5th anniversary. He never did go back to work. Figured that he was collecting a small pension and that was good enough. The latest lie and then stonewalling has to do with our house. It is in foreclosure, but he has lied about it for months. He has ruined my credit rating, getting us booted out of our house, I cannot afford to retire (had hoped this would be the last year I would have to work full time–I will be 67 in January), and he refuses to talk about any of it. He has talked with our daughter, not our sons. But I am the idiot who has let this go on for over 40 years. Scary to have to start over at this point in life, but it is that or just keep being lied to and Stonewalled.
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Al
August 8th, 2017 at 7:54 AMOmg..😱I’ve been mentally going insane with what my partner NOW SHALL BE EX through myself realising there is a name for his horrbble evil mental and emotional abuse. Stonewalling and not me as I always get the blame for his behaviour. He is sick in the head always playing mind games name-calling me a crank bringing my ex up saying revolting things to me. Then he goes home for a week comes back knocking at mine as. If nothings happened, I then have to question his behaviour then he says I done or said something wrong for him to leave. He refuses to have sex with me yet I caught him watching porn and playing with himself 😷😱 it made me feel so regected ugly etc, but I feel stronger now knowing there’s other women going through this stonewalling trauma, we are not losing the plot we are not going insane, I have now realised what this sick sly rat has been putting me through hell and back. I’m a beautiful woman inside and out of started to neglect myself you no hair beauty home dresswise always in pyjamas looking vulnerable. Well now ladies the vintage are coming out his rags are going in them😃 giving him the lot no explaining only to say to him when you get home read up in your dictionary about STONEWALLING THERES YOUR ANSWER TO YOU GETTING ALL YOUR RAGS BACK GOODBYE 😃🙌CANT THANKYOU GIRLS FOR THE COMMENT IVE READ YOUVE HELPED ME SO MUCH 👌💗HES A NARCASIST TOO LETS SEE HOW HIS LIFE IS NOW WITHOUT ME 🙌😃 IM A TRUE BELEIVER IN KARMA 👌STAY STRONG LADIES 💗💗💗💗
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Beyondhope
October 27th, 2017 at 10:25 PMDear Wendy, I feel for you too, it is cruel and heartless, and can leave us feeling so lonely
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Jackie
July 11th, 2018 at 9:20 AMI experience the same thing. I have only been married for a year and 4 months. My husband was at first charming, caring, loving, well all of those good things, but now the mask is off. There were signs before we got married, but I ignored them. He use to not answer my calls or text for days. I didn’t realize what was happening because I was blinded. Now to date he stonewalls for no reason at all. He shut down on my for a month in May, June for 12 days and now in July so far 6 days. He get to the point he doesn’t come home. He doesn’t call me or txt me, neither does he answer my calls or text. He was home yesterday and I asked how was his day? No reply. I tried to talk to him for hours yesterday, but he completely ignored me. Finally he took a shower and left and did not return home. I want to talk to his family to find out what happened as a child, but he has turned them against me. This is so depressing. I uprooted my life to come be with him. I have no family here. I pray for him everyday and for our marriage. He is sick and need help. Sometimes I ask myself if I need help because I continue to stay in this toxic marriage. I know that I deserve better, we all do. I know that I can have a great life without him, but the crazy part about it…I still love him. He’s threatened me with divorce several times. Now he get to the point of not caring if I am okay, if I ate, if I need something, if my car is in good condition, things like that he doesn’t care about. I also learned via research that he may be a Narcissist. He has several of the traits. The mask came off early. Now I am in limbo. I know what to do, but I don’t want to do it at the moment. Is that being selfish?
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Deborah
August 11th, 2018 at 11:25 AMMy husband acts the same way. I may be leaving too at some time in the future. I don’t feel a part of a marriage anymore. We just bought a house last year which I love so this is what keeps me here. I did give my the opportunity to split everything up before we bought the house. I’ve just never felt so alone. Separate bedrooms, no sex, not supposed to wear shorts (I am older and don’t look good in them 65) and no conversation whatsoever. If a person is younger and husband is doing this get out now!
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Elizabeth
October 26th, 2019 at 1:02 AM8 months ago I met a man 57 I’m 50, he was gentle a bit distant but so thoughtful . He helped me financially with my young daughter and we I thought had a positive future. I was aware he had a bad childhood but he seemed to be ok with that. I noticed a month into seeing him he was stonewalling me if I said anything he didn’t agree with or if I interrupted him. He would slump in his chair or stand outside or mumble under his breath or leave for days with no contact. Tbh I sometimes never knew what I’d done… was it me my daughter ! But I felt powerless scared intimidated all the negatives I could. I would text n ring and beg for another try and he would say yes. And then it would happen again and it would be my fault for being aggressive . I was only wanting to talk as an adult but he slammed me down with stonewalling, but I guess he got his result as I would become scared n frightened of this stonewalling game and being in it again. I finished it last week when he did it for no apparent reason in front of my daughter , so I asked him to politely f&&k off. I got a response by text saying I was mental followed by a smiling face:-) . I’ve heard nothing but I unfortunately have to see him occasionally at work. This is the first time I’ve left it (for good) after being stonewalled and like I thought he wouldn’t apologise.. why would he. I feel stupid cos I offered him a loving home :-(
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anonymous
May 10th, 2020 at 3:24 AMI’m so glad to hear there is a name for this and it’s not just me going crazy! I feel our otherwise happy, loving relationship is being ruined by this – I couldn’t have put it better than the person that described it as a punishment. Every time there is a disagreement of opinion or I feel a bit let down or fustrated by his actions (which is completely normal in a relationship), it is down to me to take it on the chin and not be bothered by it as my partner is unable to ever come to a resolution or understanding and it leads to hours if not days or stonewalling and unnecessary arguments where I end up feeling crazy and guilty. For example he made a short, sarcastic, rude comment to me after I had been running around all day trying to make everything perfect for him and his daughter (who I love as my own) – it didn’t need to be a big deal so I calmly explained I had actually just done x,y,z for him so his comment had upset me and could we just apologize and move on. Instead he stone walled me for a few hours and refused to apologise or even talk about his comment which just turned a tiny thing into a huge deal between us. It always gets to a point where the stonewalling continues to a point where I can’t take the fustrataion of the way it makes me feel any longer and as I’m trying to explain and make him understand for the millionth time I end up throwing in a mean comment myself about him. He then uses this to stonewall and punish me even further to the point where I feel so guilty and stupid for getting annoyed in the first place and I am distraught begging him to forgive me. I know he has damage from his past marriage and I have been using this as a reason to excuse and explain when this happens. But I feel like the more this happens, my eyes are being opened. I had said to him ‘why did it need to be like this again, wouldn’t this have just been better if when I told you your actions had upset me, you just apologised for them and we moved on?’ and he answered ‘why can’t you just think it’s not a big deal and not be upset by it?’. It makes me feel crazy, like it is my fault for wanting to discuss and resolve issues. It makes me feel like I’m not allowed to express my emotions without then having to feel guilty that I have hurt him and caused an argument. Sometimes I find the stonewalling so hard to deal with it makes me consider self harm (I am ashamed of this) and when I tell my partner in the moment to try and get him to understand how much this is hurting me – the situation is turned round and I am the horrible person for suggesting such a thing and I feel guilt and shame on a level I have never felt before. I feel I have tried everything to resolve this issue in our relationship and I would appreciate any advice on how to deal with this situation better.
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Pinky
July 23rd, 2017 at 2:01 PMGet out of the relationship. It’s really too late to change that much at this stage. Leave and go be happy.
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Marie
February 4th, 2018 at 2:14 PMYeah, I have been married to a stone waller for ten years. We are approching divorce. He uses as a form.of punishment. I am really drained from this tactic or emotional disconnect. I think the longest he has stoned walled me has bee 6 months. We are separated currently. When we lived together he would do it two months tops at a time depending on our hang up. He used this behavior with his mom once that I was told by him and she begged for his forgiveness and his sister acted as the liazon third party to help them make up. When he expressed this even it was as if he gained power from it. He is also a cheater and I believe when ever he discards one hes back looking my direction
I am sick of the games and the guilt. I used to feel that he didnt know better but after being with him so long or lack there of I realize he knows exactly what hes doing. When tension builds up in the marriage I normslly the one who wants to talk it out. He becomes very distant and you can cut the unresolved tension with a knife. These times normally turns into him totally ignoring me and him leaving the house alot. Which of course weakens the chances of manogomy. I hate it. I have been married to this man for ten years and we have only shared three of them together. I am suffering and want peace and healing. Thankyou. -
Martha L.
June 18th, 2018 at 4:05 PMI am a 69 y.o. Latin lady. Married for 40 years, most of my life stonewall and I certainly am blame of this condition by my husband. No problem for him, he is married to books and thinks that marriage is only to have children. We have three around the thirties. Two grandchildren. Nothing helps
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Andrew
June 18th, 2019 at 9:12 AMYes I do think it is a condition that a therapist can fix only if the husband wants to fix it. All I can say to woman is if your going to leave probably do so by moving out first without breaking the relationship otherwise it will lead to a further punishment or being cut off and never spoken to EVER again. Most stonewallers won’t try fix it until it’s to late you may be better off to move out first with out fully burning the bridge and allowing him time to realise he or the situation has gone to far and if he loves you he will try and fix it and if you get help and follow his lead it can probably be resolved permantly. Remember once broken things will never be the same and if a stonewaller is hurt he will return the hurt and when he wins you back if you break up with him he will then be so angry about all the fus then he will cut you off to give you a taste of your own medicine. It’s a tit for tat game of treat people how you wanna be treated. I know this because I’ve discovered I’m a habitual stonewaller I cut off all 3 woman that cause offical break ups or infedalities I won’t speak to them ever again not in this life or in the next one. If your situation is so deteriorated or he has had a mental collapse from the sudden shock of abandonment but is willing to try fix it you may want to take this as a last but probably best chance to turn it all around and get professional help. Us stonewallers are not the best at being able to talk about our feelings when hurt so a therapist is best there is a chance that every single thing your p***** off about he specifically did on purpose but is to scared to admit it to you incase you think he is an A-hole but in his own head Knows EXACTLY what why when and how he did it to create a form of abuse to you as punishment, most common is that you have done something that hurts him like sexual rejection or put a wall up to him so he finds a way to do it back to you and because you won’t change and have an excuse like most woman do for everything to him then he mimickes the same outcome he feels straight back at you but it will be in an are like your next holiday or something that will make you happy he will sabatage and you wouldn’t think it’s because you did something to him you just think he is abusive but he just mimiks you how you think your not in the wrong either and you won’t change so why should he.
Us Stonewallers are actually very intelligent and do have it figured out but don’t let you know that we know it’s part of our justification of quietly getting even. Problem is is that it gets out of control and men like this are a one-ups-man you probably don’t think that the holiday plan just got blocked at the last minute because you didn’t feel like sex when he tried two months ago so now it’s your turn to get some retribution and feel the same way like not important enough. It’s not that we do the exact same thing back like reject you when you want it we find something else that’s not related and then relate it and say I don’t feel like that holiday anymore I’m busy and then coldly dismiss. This is part of our game and to be honest it doesn’t make us happy that’s why the stonewalling goes on and off because one punishment has been served then we may justify the outcome and become neutral again. Chance are this is all happening because he really loves you and his emotions are hurt somewhere deep down thus is a scar or early childhood trauma. It is interesting how we create the same level of hurt or rejection you make us feel and find a completely different area that you wouldn’t expect to apply that to this is why we don’t let you know how we feel because we have probably tried many times and get the same treatment so we then go covert so you won’t know what why or how we are going to make you pay for what you have done to us. It’s pretty pathetic and we know it is and that’s also why we don’t want to admit it because it makes us look abusive on purpose and woman believe in this double standards thing so we simply just covertly level out the playing field through actions with no words and do it covertly and through the form of silance thing is most woman are to stupid to know what’s going on that he is completely aware of the impact it is having but ignorant to the extent of it. That’s why woman just pack up and leave because they can’t win or in out case refuse to see that there is some serious things they need to change in order for use to stop or b*******. This is most likely caused from a non existent sex life and he is hurting inside but doesn’t want to show how desperate he really is and how much he actually wants you because the moment he try’s and opens up he just gets slammed back down again so it can become this Eb and flow and push and pull and it is actually toxic but why talk to a woman about it all you’ll never win, a woman is always right and it is how she thinks it is and she will normally be clear about it so as we do what we do round two of levelling out the playing field with more covert sexually frustrated bullshit. Hope that helps some lady’s understand why we won’t speak about it. You normally won’t win In the long run just like how we don’t win when your always right so tit for tat it goes. -
Kim
November 13th, 2019 at 2:00 PMIm with you. I refer to it as the torture process of the process…lol its pure hell its the worst thing emotionally that ive ever dealt with. My hats off to each and everyone of us that has survived this garbage. We end up caring and putting in effort for both of us. Crazy. And then all i get is judged because of my reaction to being treated like im nothing. The rudest mist disrespectful inconsiderate treatment and i didnt do anything to begin with. He holds me accountable for things i didnt do. He puts me through hell and never ever says hey im mad nothing. Ive got no chance i have to live my life full of anxiety never knowing when he is going to suddenly be so foul and refuse to return a call just leaves me screwed all day none of it makes sense and if i get upset oh boy then he uses that as his excuse to drag out his ugliness. He goes from being totally normal to that. And i dont have a clue what is up. Ive got 17 years. He makes a choice not to be upfront. Im getting my walking shoes on. Seems like a no hope thing or me its bizzare. Im lost
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Sallie
July 12th, 2023 at 11:55 AMI understand the pain. It can be incredibly challenging and heartbreaking. I’ve come to realize that my husband doesn’t seem to show any care or concern, as he always has. It feels like a wasted 15 years, living in a nightmarish situation where we’re now in separate rooms. The house needs to be sold, but unfortunately, I’m only on the title and not the note, which complicates matters. I haven’t been able to obtain anything from him, and it frustrates me. I dislike the person who emerged about two years ago, who started making plans to leave, as it angers me that he always promises to work on things but doesn’t do anything. I’ve allowed this situation to continue, despite knowing better from my first marriage that didn’t occur until I was 40 years old. I’ve expressed my feelings repeatedly, perhaps nagging at times, but it seems he will never communicate with me anymore. I need to take care of myself because being invisible to your husband is not acceptable. Love is essential to me, and I cannot continue living like this until the financial matters are resolved. Although I am a housewife and gave up my independence, I know I must face the consequences of my choices and learn from them.
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The GoodTherapy.org Team
May 5th, 2015 at 10:04 AMHi Laurel, thank you for your comment.
You can search for a therapist near your ZIP code or city by visiting: https://www.goodtherapy.org/find-therapist.html
You can also call GoodTherapy.org’s support team for help finding a therapist by dialing 888-563-2112 ext. 1 during our business hours.
Best wishes,
The GoodTherapy.org Team -
Seth
June 5th, 2017 at 2:56 AMThank you. I’ve just discovered that this is what I’m experiencing. And it’s torture. I’m a male and my wife has been almost identically creating this environment and behavior so consistently. I sit in a ball and can’t even speak anymore… I’m so happy to have found this site.
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Mike D
October 11th, 2015 at 12:06 PMMost men are aware of the stonewalling but do not know that it is so damaging to the relationship. My ex-wife and I divorced over so many issues that I realize I was stonewalling her and her crazy behavior was because of how angry I was making her from lack of caring about her feelings.
Its a shame because had we worked it out over the years, we would definitely be together.
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vikki
February 17th, 2018 at 8:28 AMGood for you for realizing this. However, maybe your wife is the person you should be telling. Only tell her if you know you can do better.
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Andrew
June 18th, 2019 at 7:48 AMI did this to my ex girlfriend who I loved with all my heart and it pushed her to breaking point she suddenly just walked out when she couldn’t take it anymore and although I chased her she wouldn’t officially take me back so I got pissed off that she made her self sexually available to other men by being single and I begged her to at least get back together in the form of faithfulness and she wouldn’t take me back officially but would turn up once a week for months trying to talk about the relationship and I didn’t really give a f*** about the relationship if she wasn’t going to be faithful to it because I’d simply just cut her off forever if a third party got involved. What’s the point of trying to fix something when by being single causes the effect of fear to come back from previous exes that cheated on me or started sleeping around the day you break up and I needed to know that she wasn’t going to be seeing other men in order to work it out with her. Stonewalling comes from fear and for me adultery the scares of the past deep cuts. I knew with in my self that if she continued this behaviour I had no other choice but to permantly cut her off and never speak a word to her ever again. I simply won’t be able to deal with another break up **** other people get back together relationship. The fear of this happening again over whelmed me so I needed to know that step one to save the relationship was to not destroy it and step 2 was to then work it out but she wouldn’t agree to step 1 she refused to be official until I addressed What appeared to be abusive but I kind of refused to address her punishment if she won’t even be faithful. I knew decisively what I had done with precision to use stonewalling as a form of abuse or punishment which created the break up so it wasn’t like I didn’t know how to fix it I could easily stop if I wanted which was what I wanted to do I just couldn’t allow her to reject me with sex because she took it away from me so I then removed all forms of intermecy until she was willing to give then I would give it was a standoff. Woman use sex as power to punish men so men use stonewalling to return the rejection back to them with precision , find out what she likes and needs the most then remove it from her and then make excuses like she does about not putting out and just dismiss her back and go watch some porn. Unfortunately she never knew why I did what I did It all pushed us to far and her rebellion against my male authority pushed me to the edge where I had to draw a line in the sand that if she kept being single and didn’t want me in that way then I had no other choice but to CUT her off.
So I did and she tried repetitively to re contact me but when a man lays down the Law and decides he won’t be abused by sexual rejection or female infidelity any longer then then CHOP OFF and stonewall the ***** for eternity I never once spoke to her again just blocked every single attempt because she didn’t cooperate and didn’t believe I said what I meant when I meant what I said. It’s been seven years I’ve been single I’m not interested in other woman I’m in love with her but I just couldn’t go though the mental scares of the past of not being good enough so I had to block it all out. Still to this day I’ll cut off my nose to spite my face -
Lynn
March 24th, 2020 at 8:47 PMWow. Thank you for sharing. BTW you could have been happy, it sounds like your girlfriend loved you (either that or it was a strong trauma bond). All you had to do was be reasonable, talk it through and rebuild trust. I am happy for her that she got away. My ex husband was the same.
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Debora
March 5th, 2016 at 6:34 AMStonewalling is definitely my husbands way of showing he’s in control. My concerns or my feelings are of no interest to him.
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Cass
April 17th, 2016 at 11:04 AMMen stonewall women to gain control over them, and because the stonewalling partner is the one who has done something wrong- he is silent because he has something to hide, whereas the other partner is forced to become inquisitive because they are the one someting is being hidden from.
Since men are more likely to be nasty and abusive than women, naturally most stonewallers are men.
The reason the stonewaller doesn’t like talking is not because they dislike talking per se, but because talking and revealing information will force their guilt to come out in the open. The victim in this case doesn’t talk because she likes talking, but because it is the only way to get the information.
I repeat- stonewalling is an ABUSIVE tactic that abusers (mostly men) do towards women in order to prevent dialog about (and therefore discovery of) their bad intentions and behaviors.
Furthermore, it is OBVIOUS that stonewalling hurts, and it is obvious why it hurts, and being male doesn’t make it any less obvious. ESPECIALLY after women complain every time it happens. If someone is complaining when something happens, obviously they dislike the thing. Men know perfectly well how hurtful they are to women, but they pretend not to because they want to get away with it and act like they didn’t realize how much pain they were causing.
Please read Lundy Bancroft as he will set you straight on this issue.
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Robby
June 21st, 2016 at 7:29 AMStop generalising and trying to make one gender look like the abuser and other like the victim by repeating the same message over and over.
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AL
July 1st, 2016 at 2:00 PMRobby is right. I’m feel more Sorry for Cass so I’m sorry you were so hurt in your situation. Not all men are like this. I do like what you have written but its best used without so much hatred towards men. It would probably happen to your again if you were with a woman.
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Jane
November 3rd, 2016 at 4:50 PMEach of the individuals that I know who have practiced stonewalling are female. The individuals represent multiple generations. So it is possible that for the younger group, it is learned behavior. The motivations for the primary abusers appears to have been greed. The underlying motivation is unknown since those individuals refuse communication ongoing now for almost two decades. Their issue may be resentment although the grievance is imagined since their ancestors treated them as fairly as others. Getting to the root is probably futile, however would begin to answer many questions.
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Rodger
June 5th, 2017 at 1:29 PMwell spoken Al ,you speak the truth .
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Ron
December 7th, 2016 at 9:40 PMIt does go both ways. I literally had my relationship go from good, to distant, to completely stonewalled overnight after she said “Goodnight babe, text u tomorrow” on the phone. No fights, nothing. And then she was gone after a year. Who does that? A sociopath, that’s who. She is not a good person.
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David
July 30th, 2018 at 10:22 AMI am sitting where most of you are, wife left a month ago and will not talk, type, text, write, nothing. She told her Sister she didn’t know why she left, what she is going to do, or what it would take to reunite. She says she is not angry but I don’t buy it. How long shall I put up with this? I lover her but she is toxic
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Patti
May 1st, 2017 at 7:23 PMCass is spot on! I couldn’t say it better. It has ruined my marraige. He refuses to talk, he refuses to go to counseling, and he refuses to accountable for his infidelity. He feels he doesn’t have to be accountable for anything he does. He is so manipulative and refuses to change so this marraige is over sad to say. I really hoped we could go to counseling and get help. Obviously I am not that important. So I chose happiness.
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Vee
January 11th, 2018 at 6:37 PMI had similar experience. 32 yrs of marriage . Refused to go to counselling, infidelity and nor remorse. I moved out and hoping I can find happiness again. We deserve more respect.
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JMP
July 25th, 2016 at 2:58 PMThis is indeed the worst form of Emotional Abuse. I do not know what form of rise that they feel doing this. I know quiet people such as Introverts need quiet to recharge. If they continue to be quiet then, they are rude. It is a very immature attitude. Children practice this when they don’t get their way. I have dealt with it for many years. Some just except it. I also know it is a very dangerous attitude when it comes to Disrespect. People better start thinking of the way they conduct their lives. It says No one I mean no one has the right to disrespect anyone. From a murderer to a Grandmother. Everyone is to be treated equally. The people who do this might not answer for it in this life but, I promise they will in the next life. Keep the bottom thought in mind.
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Rene
July 26th, 2016 at 7:41 PMAmen, JMP.
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Andrea
August 12th, 2016 at 4:21 PMMy partner has stonewalled me for as long as I can remember, it used to drive me insane, literally insane, back when I had some spirit left inside me, I would rally against it, I would react quite aggressively because I was so frustrated and incensed that my views just didn’t seem valid.
It’s now been almost 26 years and I’ve gone from being an outgoing popular person to a recluse, it didn’t happen suddenly, buts of you get chipped away like a sculpture in reverse until there’s nothing left, his family members, especially his mother, have done things I consider to be unforgivable. They have played mind games and used our son to hurt me
( Refusing to acknowledge his existence, excluding him from family events etc, he’s in his 20s now and I’m ashamed of myself for being so weak, his father doesn’t seem able to defend either of us even though he’s a big man, he is his father too, people have assumed he wasn’t for some reason)
I feel mentally bound and gagged, the lack of vindication, validation and resolution has taken its toll on me. For the first 15 years I despised myself as I convinced I was the perpetrator, the abuser, as he and his family implied, honestly I’m not a weak minded fool even though I sound like one, I know how pathetic I seem. I’ve often wondered why I’ve stayed in this situation but he works away a lot and he’s so very very nice on the phone to me, it always lulls me back into a false sense of security, or my empathy traps me into feeling sorry for him; until recently, when he stated that I’d alienated him from his friends and family, I’ve not been able to get past that comment as I know it’s the biggest lie ever. He’s very good at what he does, whether it’s purposely or unconsciously I just don’t know, nor do I care to know anymore, he’s charming in public so nobody would believe me if I tried to tell anybody, he changes history to a point where I question my own mind, tells me I’m too sensitive and paranoid when I know for sure I’m really not.
But it’s the stonewalling; it’s probably the worst thing, the sense of abandonment and isolation is unbearable and it sets my cataplexy off, plus, it’s so predictable I’ve started just keeping my mouth shut like a step ford wife. I feel no pleasure, no excitement, nothing, I’m completely numb. I brought our son up alone most of the time, he chose to work away and the one time he took a job near to home it was unbearable, he blamed me for it even though I didn’t ask him to do it, it was like living with a Sgt. Major. I would panic when he walked through the door.
Stonewalling is abuse, there’s no doubt about that and it’s usually combined with gaslighting among other forms of psychological torture.
I’m actually mortified at how damn pathetic I sound. -
Julie
August 26th, 2016 at 1:20 PMAndrea, I feel your pain I’m in a marriage of of 16 years and this has been happening to me for 10 years I read articles on how to cope with someone who stone walls they say leave go somewhere until you can talk well my husband can hold his grudge with me for 5-7 weeks one time a whole year. It has made me insane. I have two kids and being a stay at home mom I have unfortunately come to depend on him and have no where to go. Have you found any solutions or coping skills to deal with a stonewall person? Other than divorce?
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Andrea
March 14th, 2017 at 8:41 AMHello Julie, I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to reply to your reply! You know what it’s like, you blurt it out then don’t go back again.
No, I haven’t found any coping strategies at all, in fact I’ve attempted suicide twice since that post. There are no coping strategies we are with master manipulators here.
I know how you feel when you say you can’t leave as you have children and all, basically you Are financially trapped like myself. They use financial control, another form of abuse.
The only thing I’ve discovered that had helped me immensely has been lithium orotate, I take 3 5mg capsules a day, nothing has worked for me like this and I’ve tried everything. It stops the bad thoughts from destroying you mentally and physically.
It is the most draining existence to live especially with children. Hiding your face constantly so nobody can see you Crying?
People say get out but I honestly don’t think they realise how difficult it is
Its not just stonewalling, it’s Stockholm syndrome too, the complete decimation of your self, soul and mind. Where are you Julie? Sometimes I think we should just all get together and escape, together!!!! -
Patricia
April 7th, 2017 at 9:59 AMIf you stay in the relationship you must focus on yourself and children and your physical and psychological safety. Melodies Beattie ‘a books on CoDependency helped me a lot – Codependency No More is a good one to start with. Her book of daily reads – The Language of Letting Go is Excellent. Though her work is geared to substance abuse relatiobships her strategies are helpful for abusive and all dysfunctioning relationships. You can keep yourself not only sane but happier till you are ready for any next steps. Focus on you and do not try to change him – that is crazy making- as it’s not going to happen. Good luck
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Susan
November 26th, 2017 at 9:40 AMMy husband does it to me too… It used to last for weeks and I would be constantly asking what was wrong. I do feel that played into his hands and now I just say that I’m going to do something while he sorts himself out. After about an hour, he’ll come through with an excuse for his behaviour though doesn’t actually apologise. We go through this sometimes 3 or 4 a a week and it’s exhausting /soul destroying. I feel I’m stuck for another 2.5yrs see have a large loan that won’t be paid off till then. After that, we’ll have equity in the house and I guess I’ll weigh up my options then…
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Nicole M
October 12th, 2018 at 10:27 AMIn my experience, the person doing the stonewalling never changes, because they don’t actually have a need to. It is a dysfunctional cycle and the only way to break free is to step out of it yourself and not allow yourself to be treated as such any longer. Hard to know, I am there right now, with a divorce that will be final in a matter of days. The person who stonewalls is in a power position, and controls the relationship communication completely, the other person is left trying to appease, or stuff down feelings in order to be spoken to again. A stonewaller is not going to give up that power position, why would they? They have the control, they don’t have to take ownership and they have the other person working in overdrive to fix it all. To cure them will not happen. Showing them how much it hurts you, or lashing out only reinforces their behavior. A stonewaller WANTS you to suffer. So telling them how much you are suffering, plays right into the cycle. If the person was capable of truly loving you, or anyone, they would be mortified at causing the person they love so much pain, but I don’t think people who stonewall to a great degree can love like that. It’s easy to take it personally. Why don’t they love you enough to see the hurt they cause and stop or seek help to stop. But it’s not about your worth. Your worth is not dictated by another’s treatment of you. You don’t own that . They do. I have been in counseling every week for two and a half years, and my soon to be ex went with me one time. I worked on strengthening myself, and learning healthy communication. I learned to not trigger him and how to release control of how he responded. But in all that time, he did no work on his communication, or should I say, lack thereof, and the more I tried to keep my feelings down to not trigger him, the more sensitive he became. No matter how assertive, and calm and thoughtful I was in my communication, he would shut down, and leave and ice me out for weeks, months. So, in essence, the healthier I became the more he tried to regain control over me, and the stonewalling became worse. There is no hope. If there ever was, it would come from the stonewaller themselves, not the person on the other end. One does not seek help for something one does not see as a problem. Best of luck to you.
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Jackie
October 27th, 2016 at 1:54 PMThis is very similar to the dismissive-avoidant attachment theory. I’m realizing I’ve been dating a dismissive-avoidant for the past 3.5 years. I highly recommend googling this… it’s given me so many answers!
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Nicole
June 5th, 2019 at 4:57 PMI agree on the dismissive-avoidant personality. I am in school currently to become a psychologist and my ex definitely had this personality type.
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Adele
January 16th, 2017 at 10:01 PMHM, I’m sorry that you are in so much pain. CoDependents Anonymous is a place to go for the journey to heal. You can Google codependents anonymous and find face-to-face meetings, phone meetings which are really great, and online meetings. You can go to their website and read about the patterns of codependency and it is amazing what you may relate to. I am growing by leaps and bounds. Because I don’t have to go it alone anymore. I have wonderful loving members I can reach out to. We read our books and work through the tools of recovery. Sending you blessings. You can start re-creating your life now
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Lara
February 26th, 2017 at 11:44 PMHi Andrea,
I understand exactly what you are saying. I have been through the same thing and reading your comment was as if I was reading my own married life issues.
No you do not sound pathetic. Thank yourself much for putting that up. It sounds so sadly poetic. Yet with each line a heart string was pulled within myself, the memories the tears the isolation. Nobody should have to go through that. -
Andrea
March 14th, 2017 at 8:48 AMLara, thankyou for your kind words.
It’s all so wrong, what happens if we never get out. I remember my grandmother telling me that she’d given up on happiness that she wished she’d die in her sleep. She did.
I don’t want that to happen to me.
X -
Judah
April 4th, 2017 at 2:36 AMReading the posts and in particular yours Andrea, which made me feel like I was reading my own story, has reminded me about how devastating this cruel, controlling, manipulative and destructive form of abuse is. To make matters worse for me, other than my husband’s brutal stonewalling tactics, is that I have ADHD – something which my husband is not in the meat but interested in learning about so he can support me and learn what aggravates my bursts of anger and over reacting. But like others I have had my nose rubbed in my dreadful sins and blamed for everything wrong in our marriage for almost 20 years that it’s so easy for my husband to be unaccountable, unrepentant, unremorseful because all our problems are due to me. The guilt I’ve felt for years is equaled only by the negl ft and emotional abandonment I’ve endured by someone who just couldn’t give a damn. It’s too much effort. He doesn’t ‘feel’ like being attentive because of MY abuse! And yEt the only time that abuse escapes is when utter desperation and madness breaks free from the chains of reasoning, begging, following around as he walks away. Damn straight I’m angry!!! At least I’m showing SOME kind of emotion and attempting to reach out and communicate. I’ve never b n suicdal but I am withering wwwy from my former social, outgoing, confident, capable self. I have no case to plead becauee the judge and jury closes my case every time I get a chance for a hearing. The mallet is the only response and it slams down a guilty verdict and sentences me to a life of stonewalling. It’s the cruelest punishment when you love the one who locks you up – the only one who can set you free.
I can only continue to pray that his heart or stone(walling – how apt!) will become soft. It’s like a slow agonizing death. -
Beyondhope
October 28th, 2017 at 7:52 PMMy coping strategy has been to make my own parallel life; I belong to a gym where I go and meet friendly faces plus work out; I walk most mornings before work with a wonderful understanding friend, I run twice a week with another friend, I go to church where I am warmly welcomed and we can mutually encourage one another. Also I work full time where I get to meet other people and focus on my tasks for the day. Without all of the above I would never have coped or stayed here. Mental anguish can be managed if you have a plethora of interests and activities.
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Esther
April 4th, 2017 at 9:42 AMI want to offer my empathy to all of you. I have been experiencing all of the treatment that you are describing in your posts. Albeit from a distance, because I moved 600 miles to a place where he spends half the year, always relaxing and having fun, so it seemed. When he was home it was all business with no time for pleasure. Now after being out here for almost 2 years I realize he recluses here also and has no friends.
I can relate to the lady who said he was so nice on the phone, but when he was home he was like a Sgt. Major. Only this guy was a Lit. Colonel. Insecure, isolated with no friends and always making excuses for everything. He was right, he knew better, He was my superior in his mind, yet scared to death of me rejecting him in his heart.
We never lived together thank goodness. I believe he knew he was mean to me and hurting me. Also I called him on his behavior. At one point suggesting he date a lady that seemed to have a similar personality so he could experience some of his own cruelness. So he did, but he didn’t tell me for months, blamed me for leaving him, because it was me who put the energy into the relationship and made him feel important and not lonely and now I wasn’t taking him coffee, going for bike rides and stopping by to make him feel important.
Exit me, and he had only his own self and inadequacies to deal with. So he called her. He has continued to contact me as he is here almost once a month. Each time stating they are not too serious. playing on my emotions. When I say I can not see him if he is seeing her, he gets agitated and says they are talking about a future. This has happened 3 times, yet he is still wanting to see me and there is no physical interaction. I keep saying if you are serious with her, then why do you still need to see me. She should be all you think of?
He has used just about every form of emotional abuse, yet reporting my weakness as the problem in the relationship, lightly brushing over his short comings stating he needs to work on that, and he will try to do better. He went to counseling and lied about the conversations, stating the exact same thing every week. The lies have gotten out of control and I could see the mass confusion on his face and hear it in his messages. In some ways I feel sorry for him and in other ways, he is getting a huge dose of his own medicine.
In the past he has stonewalled me until I quit the relationship, then the cards and flowers come. I grew so afraid of trying to end things because he always returns, right when I have gotten my self together. This last time I made the mistake of calling thinking it had been enough time that he and she would be great and I could touch base as a friend. NOPE….. the Baby’s, I love you’s, we are connected….blah blah blahs came out. And he was attentive and helpful, right up until I said, look If you want to say you love me and try to kiss me, you need to end it with her.
Then I called her…..her story didn’t match his at all. And he is now stonewalling her. For a bit I thought oh, he is giving her everything I ever wanted, because he was telling me they were doing this and that, all the things I wanted to do with him.
Then I realized people don’t change at 68, yes 68 and that was just trying to hurt me by controlling me and keeping me from having other relationships . I have actually seen them together and he doesn’t give her an ounce of attention. Total stone walling. It is she who is now stuck in the trap of his emotional abuse. It is she who can doubt her own ethics and sense of morality and intelligence. She can spend endless hours wondering how to please him and get his approval. I do truly hope they are enough a like as they both seem to like to control people, they can make it work. I know for myself, I need open and honest. I need a man who can communicate negative feelings and respects me and meets my needs. I highly suggest if any of you are able you find folks that love and support you that you put your efforts there and on improving your own image of your self. One thing I did realize is the more I was independent and went out with my friends the more he tried to win my attention. So if you can’t leave….I will tell you what a wise counselor told me once. You can’t lead a horse to water, but you can make him thirsty. Most people who play these games are incredibly insecure. You know they aren’t leaving and they are all threats and talk. So why not just go live your life and be happy. Maybe they will try harder to win your affections. Maybe they will find someone else they can beat down and have an affair, then you are free to leave. But for heaven’s sake, make sure you have an exit plan. Nothing will make you feel more confident then having a way to take care of yourself. God will provide, He has no desire that you live in torment. -
Kelly
April 15th, 2017 at 6:56 PMHi Andrea,
Your story and honesty breaks my heart. You are not pathetic. You are sound, cognizant, and have power. I used to feel consciously powerful until i started dating my bf for the last 6 years. I still have this e-mail, but I’m no longer a wanderer. I’ve become a different person I barely recognize. And i’m still not good enough. And his family agrees. I don’t have any family here. We just broke up a couple weeks ago and I am realizing the dregree of abuse I endured. It sounds stupid, but I’ve started going to the gym to reclaim my “power”. It helps! I go on the elliptical and I am aware of my power for about an hour 3-5 times a week. That is far more power than I have felt in the last 6 years. Bless you and your son and I hope with all my heart you can find the power to remind yourself and your son what a woman deserves in life and love. You are in my thoughts and I wish you the best- without any pressure- just as you are. -
E
April 19th, 2017 at 5:56 AMRead Melanie Tonia Evans and her blogs and on you tube. Good luck. Fight for yourself
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Gail
April 22nd, 2017 at 6:21 PMHi Andrea,
Every word you wrote struck a chord in me because it is exactly what I am going through. I hope you are well or have become better since your last post here. It’s nice to find a place where we can all find a bit of a comfort in our struggle. May I ask how you have coped with your situation? Did you choose to stay or leave?
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Mindy A
May 31st, 2017 at 11:52 AMAndrea Plz do not feel ashamed… We are good, loving , forgiving people.. We have just been taking advantage of by what I call heart-less damaged partner.. I literally have no self-esteem and I am angry with myself everyday that I let this go on for 17 yrs.. my husband is so good at what he does my own family my mother and sister both stopped talking to me and took his side when I tried to leave 5 yrs ago. Not only do I feel completely alone in this world I live in a house that doesn’t even feel like a home Bc of how I am treated .. I wish you the very best .. one day …. one day this will all be behind us. We deserve better .
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Nicole
August 13th, 2018 at 9:00 AMYou don’t sound pathetic, just worn down. I can relate to how you are feeling. My strength has come from knowing that nothing I can do can change the person who stonewalls me and treats me badly, but I can change how I deal with it. You do have power. You can find other people to socialize with and get your needs met. You can choose to make a life outside of your husband with healthy people who will enrich your life and see your value. If you aren’t wanting to leave him, you can strengthen your own sense of self so that you aren’t as affected by his actions. There is hope.
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Andrea
August 12th, 2016 at 4:27 PMOh yes, I forgot to add, my mother was a stonewalled too, my sister used to get on her hands and knees follow her around on her knees, begging her to forgive her even though she’d done nothing wrong, dry retching with all the emotional trauma.
So, no, it’s really not a male thing. Though I can understand the misandry it brings out in women.
Some women are worse, especially when that woman is your mother. -
Piper
August 14th, 2016 at 10:56 PMI feel so grateful for all of this raw honesty. I hope I can learn how to deal with my sorrow. My heart feels so broken for all of this infliction of pain. No one deserves this, no one. I pray that God brings peace to us all. Gnight!
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Rachelle
August 23rd, 2016 at 11:25 AMAmen
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SMP
August 23rd, 2016 at 11:54 PMLet me bring some balance to this whole thing hopefully :-)
I’m a female in my early 20s and I have been a “stonewaller” from day one…..well, developed in early childhood. Unlike some of the people many complain about, my actions of stonewalling have actually been in my defense. I stonewall when I feel cornered, attacked, or antagonized. For me I feel like it is the other Peru who is behaving abusively and aggressive and t cases me to withdraw almost completely every time. My intent is not to evoke emotional trauma or damage to someone (if I really mediate on my thoughts then maybe I could find a manipulative moment or two when I was looking to get someone else to feel something by stonewalling). My stonewalling was have been an almost natural response to unnecessary argument, drama, or when I feel like someone is trying to bait me into a nasty conversation about someone or something and I personally try to refrain from letting terrible things come out of my mouth. So not all people that stonewall are passive aggressive villains; some of us are deeply wounded victims too due to rejection and early emotional trauma :-( -
SMP
August 23rd, 2016 at 11:56 PMForgive my typos – smartphone autocorrect.
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Jackie
October 27th, 2016 at 1:56 PMYou sound like a dismissive-avoidant.
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SMP
October 27th, 2016 at 5:28 PM(This is a reply to Jackie underneath)
I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t research that same behavior in the past and self-diagnosed because I feel like I identify with it. I can honestly say I agree with you to a degree – dismissive avoidant. -
Rachel
August 30th, 2016 at 12:53 PMHi smp
I don’t think you’re responses are justified as they are entirely your own responses based on your delusions and beliefs and nothing to do with actual desires to solve problems. They are destructive in nature so it will be hard for anyone to be in a relationship with you -
JMR
September 12th, 2016 at 3:59 AMI have been stonewalled by an ex–he emotionally shut down when he felt he didnt want to engage in conflict or its resolution. While I could see it coming, and I know his past experiences made him the way he is, to me it was hurtful. So many situations could have been diffused. I would hope that at some point in time, he realizes that he sabotages a healthy relationship and seeks help in order to utilize healthier coping mechanisms. In the meantime, I now have to mourn the loss of my partner and friend.
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sj
August 31st, 2016 at 8:47 PMI am in the same boat with you. I have always been the same, it doesn’t matter if its a spouse, if someone confronts me, my natural instinct, is to completely shut down and essentially cower. When i stonewall my husband, i literally have nothing going through my mind except a barrage of negative thoughts and then the tears just run down my face. I know my husband feels like its manipulation and i am sure i would feel the same way, so then he questions more aggressively and then gets even more mad. and i just cower more. He has never done anything to me, but years of verbal and emotional abuse have done this to me. I don’t even know how to stop it as my body literally shuts down and then my mind is going a mile a minute.
but then my husband stonewalls me, because he is pissed and will hold a grudge for days. I would say mine is results of years of abuse, where his is more manipulative in nature, he also learned it from his mother who does the same thing.
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sj
August 31st, 2016 at 8:49 PMthe verbal and emotional abuse was at the hands of my narcissistic mother and my father. just wanted to make that clear
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SMP
September 15th, 2016 at 6:18 PMThank you for your understanding; sorry for your circumstances. I’ve been thinking a bit about it and have been thinking that this “stonewalling” thing can be a piece of something a lot bigger – maybe even a form a paranoia. Idk, but it can be emotionally abusive when that isn’t even intended. I also think it can be spiritual torment that causes us to react in this manner also…I certainly do.
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Lara
December 31st, 2016 at 4:31 AMI have been stonewalled for 20 years now. I just learned about the term but always thought he was ignoring me. It can go on for 3 weeks or most recently 6 months until I got his brother involved.
I have lost my job, many friends and mostly my self esteem. But after 20 years I am now angry and I issued him with a divorce form.
He is always rude to me, puts me down and has been physically abusive since day one. Most recently after starting his own business he started hiding money from me, lying about how much he was earning, acussing me of taking money that I hadnt touched. All this while I was coming to terms with the loss of my mother to cancer and caring full time for my father who was suffering from liver cancer.
he stonewalled me for 6 months without a single reason that I new of and when my very large inheritance came through he started being extra nice and bending over backwards for me. Deep down I feel he is using me because now I have so much money that it also equals freedom. -
Esther
April 4th, 2017 at 10:18 AMI hope you can openly communicate that its your own negative thoughts about your self running through your head from prior years of abuse, and not your husbands words that are causing you pain.
You came to the marriage with issues as we all do. In some ways you have probably taught him to treat you that way, he gets upset and you can escape… a safe place or at least familiar place for you.
I hope you can confront your issues as well as you articulated them to us.
You are on the road to healing. We are all insecure inside and want to fit in. try to remember that. -
Nicole
June 6th, 2019 at 7:02 AMI think there is a difference between someone who has a tendency to go into flight/freeze mode when presented with something they feel as threatening and someone who uses stonewalling another as a form of control or power over the other person. A flight/freeze response is something done as a form of self protection, whereas the person who stonewalls is using the silence and ostracism as a measure against another.
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Luna
January 2nd, 2017 at 8:59 PMI know how you feel 100%
I’m 21 and I’ve been a “stonewaller” since I can remember but for some unknown reason, I was never abused as a child and hardly even yelled at but for whenever I get confronted I shutdown and can’t respond at all; the times I can force myself to respond are only when I’m crying. I don’t even know its happening until I feel my eyes zone out at the person I’m looking at yet their features don’t get blurred like when I usually zone out and then I get the large lump in my throat to prevent me from talking.
I hate myself for having this issue and want to cry because it allowed my last relationship to go from verbal abuse to physical because I could voice my opinion; I hate myself even more now that I’m engaged again because I don’t want my unintentional defensive stonewalling to ruin my relationship. -
Glsk
February 26th, 2017 at 12:25 PMI completely agree. I’m thinking I’m the one who does this, but out of self preservation. In a female in my 40’s and was in a very verbally abusive relationship for 10 years. It’s definitely a learned behavior to not provoke the dragon, but not all who exhibit this behavior are awful people.
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Olivia
May 31st, 2017 at 4:35 PMSo how do we deal with you kind of stonewaller? I’m traumatized to dealing with my spouse that stonewalls me? I’m willing to try anything. He can walk away from me and the kids for 7 weeks last time
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Rodger
June 5th, 2017 at 1:40 PMTotal admiration for you speaking the truth,I do exactly the same for the same reason ,only difference is my stonewalling was created by my control freak wife in the last 10 years, I DO NOT have anything to hide as a lot of you seem to believe ,i just do it to protect myself from the savage attacks all the time ,cheers
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Carrie
July 13th, 2017 at 4:00 PMThank you for your comments.
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Rachel
August 30th, 2016 at 1:16 PMActually that sounds quite harsh, I think I meant it is ok to withdraw based on old wounds but that is not stonewalling. If you are stonewalling you would be assuming that the other person is being difficult or entering into unnecessary conversation so then this would be stonewalling as you need to check this is the case. But I think stonewalling is more manipulative.
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Tina
September 1st, 2016 at 12:48 PMThank-you for this article!! Thank-you for your honest comments. I am not going mad, I am not a demanding nagger!! My husband is a stone Waller. He leaves me hanging all the time, I can’t discuss our future plans because he sidelines me. I end up yelling most of the time. We have 3 small kids and I have no idea how to show them positive adult relationships work. My daughter is starting to ask questions about why daddy doesn’t talk. Why daddy doesn’t play with her the way I do. Why is it mummy who always plans things. I am miserable. My self esteem has plummetted. I can’t live like this anymore. I try to talk to him and he just stares at me. Delays the conversation. Gets angry if I try to talk about saving money for the kids or anything a family should plan for. Now, I have a name for it and I understand I am not the problem!!! Now, I just need to find a way to sort this situation out.
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Olivia
September 16th, 2016 at 6:02 AMI feel ur pain I have been married to a stone Waller for 16 miserable years. 2 kids I have no family support or friends and I feel like I have no way out. U r not alone. He stone walls me about most any topic we need to discuss then he hides out in the basement last time he ignored me and the kids for 7 weeks it’s de aster me no one get it NO ONE UNLESS TYEY LIVE WITH SOMEONE LIKE THIS
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Lara
February 26th, 2017 at 11:29 PMHi Tina
Your story reminds me of my earlier marriage years. I used to be the most sociable person having worked as a medical receptionist for over 9 years. After the marriage and the abuse plus stonewalling my self esteem plummeted right down that I am finding it hard to get back to where I Used to be.
I wish all the best for you I this marriage. I am old fashioned somI pretty much stayed because of the kids but trust me it’s been 18 years and I still get flashbacks which are destroying me mentally.
He hasn’t stonewalled me for a year now exactly because I actually conjured up enough courage to issue him with divorce papers.
So he’s been on his best behaviour. -
TPsy
September 29th, 2016 at 9:29 AMI’m being stonewalled by my boyfriend as we speak. We discussed it before and I thought he would stop. He did something wrong to me yesterday and instead of saying sorry, he won’t acknowledge me….doesn’t answer my phone calls, just disappears off the face of the earth. It hurts so bad to have him treat me like I’m not alive. It makes me feel so worthless I just wanna die. There’s no way a person can love you if they do this. It’s been 8 years that I’ve been with him and it looks like I have to end my relationship cuz I can’t take this abuse anymore. The fact that he’s the one that wronged me hurts that much more. I hate him for this. I have no hope left.
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Christina
June 25th, 2017 at 7:35 PMI feel your pain and I also feel the same way as you do, if someone loves you how in the hell can they treat you like this? How can they make us feel so damn low?? It’s not right they act as if we do not exists! Sh#t after 18yrs of marriage and 3 kids later how the hell can he be so damn cold hearted! He was just telling me 6 days ago how much he loved me!! Well if Sh$t doesn’t change soon I’m going to have to leave I can’t stand feeling this empty especially when he treats the kids like only they matter! Well good luck I’m sorry you are going through this as well! 😔
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Rebecca
May 4th, 2019 at 2:41 PMPlease leave this relationship before you lose your sanity. It won’t get better..only worse. Trust me please. I’m 35 years into this. I’m a shell of my former self. I’ve completely shut down. God alone helps me to be able to work 30 hours a week. I was a runner.. can’t even do that anymore. I have no energy. It’s all been drained. I’m trying to get out but financially it is near impossible. So please..I beg of you to save yourself a life of misery. You’re not married and I’m assuming no children with your abuser. They never change and you will die a slow death. So please leave this relationship while you’re still intact and you do not have legal issues to deal with (divorce..damaged children..health issues from the stress) I wish you the very best!
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Camilla
October 6th, 2016 at 8:14 PMI have been stonewalled by my husband for months and months. since march 2016. i am so devastated nd hurt. He cheated on me in january and moved out week later. The divorce is almost over. I will be 65 next week. I have never been treated this way in my life. he will not speak to me at all. I have cried and cried . This is so hurtful. To be totally ignored and have your self esteem torn to shreds. I am trying to pick myself up and go on with my life. I was married 6 years to this man He is 77 years old. I cannot understand how anyone can treat others like this. It is abuse ..just not physical abuse.
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Deborah
May 6th, 2019 at 3:43 PMI’m wondering if stonewalling was a problem with most men years ago. I’m also wondering if porn has done this to people. It has so many similarities of lots of porn usuage and how men treat women.
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dipadbrown
October 20th, 2016 at 12:14 AMI have been reading many articles from this site. My husband and I both “stonewall”, are “aggressive”, are “passive” “passive /aggresive” are too sensitive and dramatic and so on and so forth at various times in our 22 year marriage.
I stonewall as a result of this: married two years to second husband and my 6 year old daughter is in bed and its 1030 pm , we just moved to a city and I got a job fresh out of College and need to make a good impression for my first year working in a huge hospital, age 26 for us both. i mention to him please can we go over the bills and plan our money so we have enough cash for food and drinks and gas. He says ok in a minute and I ask again and he says I don’t want to do this now I don’t plan like that. I even tell him to put it on the calendar and pick a day once every two weeks to discuss bills to pay and then we will have more money to save. Plus I don’t like loaning him money during the week and then he has to pay me back later friday I said for a new relationship with a child it is not a good foundation. I have to budget my money maybe he should do that with his. He said ok. But never does.
Now part two: two hours later he comes to bed around 1030pm but is then coming out with a tirade of complaints like you never clean, you are not sweet, you don’t decorate, you are alone in the other room and avoiding me,I don’t think you love me, why don’t you love me, I am a kind person, i don’t lie, i am willing to discuss any thing with you. This goes on for an hour or so. Then tells me that I with hold sex and suffers from depression, I keep a filthy house and , well he guesses that I wasn’t taught any better by my parents. i listen and am quite frankly over whelmed , fuming and hurt, insulted, degraded to where I have to leave to cool off for 10 -15 mins, he chases me and demands I speak now. I say I am over the top with emotions I \cannot control and that a mature thing to do is to take a walk or a drive and then we will talk. He stands in front of me and says you are a manipulating bitch and are playing games with me with his nose to my nose. I say I will talk when we are calm. He goes into the closet and says he will kill hisself and that no one cares. I stay up all night doing this again and again. I call into work because I am a Physical therapist and I cannot help and heal while i am an emotional wreck from my husband holding me in emotional blackmail. Well years later , he was still aggressive and still talking and talking. If I express how I feel about what he is saying about me and that i do see that, that it is his perspective ” for example: but I don’t agree that I used the word “pam” instead of” spam” in that sentence i used just now. These semantics go on and on. I eventually have to say I have to go and leave. i have to be at work in 2 hours. which turns into no sleep. So i am a stonewaller . i have to sleep so I can take kid to daycare and keep a job. Because at some point listening to someone berate you and then say they will kill themselves because that is how miserable i make them is pretty fucked up. So yeh slept in car with doors locked and did super mom thing. And yes after about 8 hours of it persons , such as myself (an emotional abuser , according to you all closed minded -onesided selfiish people,) become an interrupter, walk away and don’t care to listen because I am a defender of who I am as a person i deserve more respect than what he gave me. I still am with him and we are both guitly of all kinds of bad behavior, but for so,me reason i still have my spirt. by the way we had sex daily and he would throw these fits because I think he missed a night. He needed to leave me if I made e you want to kill yourself. So yeah over the years I would see the signs and it took less and less time to leave and i would always offer to talk when we ar calmer be it 5 mins or two days.
I cannot process everything he is saying because I am being attacked,–It litterally makes no sense
sincerely,
Stonewaller -
Cass
October 20th, 2016 at 11:42 AMYou are not a stonewaller. You ignore him as an attempt to avoid harm or more arguing. Stonewallers- actual stonewallers- do it to avoid being held accountable, to avoid exposing their own nasty thoughts and deeds, or to confuse and anger their partners, which they will claim makes their partners “insane”.
You are not withholding anything by trying to keep safe. You are trying to avoid abuse and he is trying to avoid honorable behavior.
The suicide threats are a manipulation tactic, not his true state of mind, and according to many sources I’ve read people like this are likely to become violent. Read Lundy Bancroft’s Why Does He Do That? It’s like he lives in your house and knows your husband personally. They all seem to follow the same strategy, the abusers.
Getting up in your face is definitely also abuse because it is designed to scare you into thinking he might do something worse.
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SMP
October 26th, 2016 at 12:48 PMI’m not understanding; I’m thinking different people have different understandings of what stonewalling is? The article above even mentions this: “…when it is used alone, it may occur as the result of a desire to decrease tension in an emotionally overwhelming situation, or in an attempt to self-soothe.” I point this out because I think a lot of people are under the impression that stonewalling is purely manipulative and aggressive in nature when it really is not. It can be a natural response to avoid emotional abuse – of course IN ADDITION TO being passive-aggressive or bluntly aggressive and vicious. Thoughts?
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Tpsy
December 9th, 2016 at 6:30 AMOne sided, close-minded, selfish people?….. Learn what stonewalling is cuz it ain’t what ur doin. If my boyfriend treats me like crap for no obvious reason, then I’ll fully ignore him and walk away too. In my case n many others, my boyfriend did something really hurtful to me and because he feels so bad and guilty about it, he wusses out and disappears, doesn’t answer his phone, doesn’t acknowledge me in any way at all….just because he’s too proud and too much of a wimp to have some decency and say sorry…..and it really reeeeeaally hurts a lot. That’s stonewalling.
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Erin
October 25th, 2016 at 3:09 PMMy husband is stonewalling me as we speak. We got into a fight which was my fault and he doesn’t want to speak about it. 5 days now, 5 horrible days and I don’t see an end in sight. The crazy thing is, we have a great relationship and this was so sudden. I’m so sick, I haven’t eaten since it started, I’m crying constantly and our two children are starting to notice. I love him and can’t figure out how to get him to talk.
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Cass
October 25th, 2016 at 3:46 PMI can’t tell what to do here since you say you started it but you don’t give details. Unless you were really abusive or unfair to your husband I would say the stonewalling isn’t a good response. But like I said you didn’t give details. It is a response that is only acceptable if the stonewaller is honestly trying to avoid harm, which isn’t usually the case.
Regardless of whether this is your husband, please read Lundy Bancroft’s Why Does He Do That- even if it doesn’t apply to your husband it may explain some of his behavior. He goes over all different types of weird husband behaviors in that book.
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Erin
October 25th, 2016 at 9:13 PMI said something I shouldn’t have. Wasn’t abusive. But right now my heart is breaking. I don’t know how to handle this.
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HM
November 30th, 2016 at 7:25 AMHi Erin, How have the last few days gone for you? I’m hoping in the last week things have smoothed out. You seem to have a very similar situation as I do, and I am so sincerely sorry. Additionally, I’m grateful for this discussion board.
I’m going through a similar situation, and I agree, it’s pretty much unbearable. It’s been 5 or so days since my Significant Other has spoken to me. I made a decision he didn’t agree with, and now he’s holding it over me by full on stonewalling. He says he won’t seek divorce, but “this is just how it will be now.” I’m completely at a loss, heartbroken, sick, can’t eat. Part of me feels like leaving for a temporary period would at least help me get out of the environment. Before doing that, I’m considering trying to tell him how I’m feeling, but any time I try to do that, he gets this sick smile behind his eyes. Like he enjoys what is happening.
The worst thing is that we have a great relationship. Sure disagreements happen, but we have certainly never gone days without talking. It’s making it impossible for me to focus on work or really anything…I know there are much more devastating things that can happen in relationships, so I have no idea how anyone can deal with this or anything worse. -
annonymousgirl
May 26th, 2017 at 8:51 AMTo Erin, I’ve been married for over 20 years and I used to cry…I can’t anymore. Stonewallers know exactly what they are doing to you. Try to live your life as you normally would. If the days turn into weeks- Demand that he seeks therapy for stonewalling, or else. I wish I would have done this in my first year of marriage. Trust me, you don’t want to give them this power for too long. It’s damaging to you and very unhealthy.
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vikki
February 17th, 2018 at 8:57 AMVery good advice. If you are with a stonewaller, he/she needs therapy. Do not let it go on as it take a toll that you may not be able to pay.
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SVS
January 20th, 2017 at 1:52 AMMy boyfriend is a stonewaller and inflicter of the silent treatment. He stonewalls whenever I bring up any action of his that has hurt me. He mostly refuses to take responsibility for his behavior. After the stonewalling he usually threatens to leave me. It seems like he’s trying to control me by letting me know that when I have a complaint, I better not bring it up or there will be a punishment. Next time he does it I’m telling him “fine, then leave”. I’m so done with his behavior. I don’t want to be treated this way anymore. I’m so so frustrated.
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Adele
January 20th, 2017 at 9:34 AMSVS, my experience with Stonewallers: people who choose to stonewall and punish with silent treatment have not developed the ability to take responsibility for their own actions. They view anyone else’s needs or expression of discontent with their actions as criticism. They cannot tolerate perceived criticism so they deflect everything back onto the other person to make that person wrong. It’s a no win situation UNLESS the Stonewaller wants to get help which would mean they’d have to acknowledge some responsibility. It’s a vicious circle. What we CAN do, is practice self care, learn about boundaries and learn that we can’t fix, manage or control others. EVER. it’s a difficult idea because it could mean that we leave the relationship. And IF we choose to leave, best we don’t threaten this in advance. We either do it or don’t do it. Remember, your boyfriend is not behaving from his Adult Self when he Stonewalls. The Stonewaller is one of his wounded inner children acting out. You may benefit from Co-Dependents Anonymous. It’s been a lifesaver for me and has propelled much growth and now I feel like I operate mostly from my Adult Self instead of my own wounded inner children. Here is a list of the Patterns of CoDependent Behavior. If you identify with any of them, you may want to try a Co depends Anonymous meeting. Patterns and Characteristics of Codependence:
These patterns and characteristics are offered as a tool to aid in self- evaluation.
They may be particularly helpful to newcomers.
Denial Patterns:
I have difficulty identifying what I am feeling.
I minimize, alter, or deny how I truly feel.
I perceive myself as completely unselfish and dedicated to the well- being of others.
I lack empathy for the feelings and needs of others.
I label others with my negative traits.
I can take care of myself without any help from others.
I mask my pain in various ways such as anger, humor, or isolation. I express negativity or aggression in indirect and passive ways.
I do not recognize the unavailability of those people to whom I am attracted.
Low Self Esteem Patterns:
I have difficulty making decisions.
I judge what I think, say, or do harshly, as never good enough.
I am embarrassed to receive recognition, praise, or gifts.
I value others’ approval of my thinking, feelings, and behavior over my own.
I do not perceive myself as a lovable or worthwhile person.
I constantly seek recognition that I think I deserve.
I have difficulty admitting that I made a mistake.
I need to appear to be right in the eyes of others and will even lie to look good.
I am unable to ask others to meet my needs or desires.
I perceive myself as superior to others.
I look to others to provide my sense of safety.
I have difficulty getting started, meeting deadlines, and completing projects.
I have trouble setting healthy priorities.
Compliance Patterns:
I am extremely loyal, remaining in harmful situations too long.
I compromise my own values and integrity to avoid rejection or anger. I put aside my own interests in order to do what others want.

I am hypervigilant regarding the feelings of others and take on those feelings.
I am afraid to express my beliefs, opinions, and feelings when they differ from those of others.
I accept sexual attention when I want love.
I make decisions without regard to the consequences.
I give up my truth to gain the approval of others or to avoid change.
Control Patterns:
I believe most people are incapable of taking care of themselves.
I attempt to convince others what to think, do, or feel.
I freely offer advice and direction to others without being asked.
I become resentful when others decline my help or reject my advice. I lavish gifts and favors on those I want to influence.
I use sexual attention to gain approval and acceptance.
I have to be needed in order to have a relationship with others.
I demand that my needs be met by others.
I use charm and charisma to convince others of my capacity to be caring and compassionate.
I use blame and shame to emotionally exploit others.
I refuse to cooperate, compromise, or negotiate.
I adopt an attitude of indifference, helplessness, authority, or rage to manipulate outcomes.
I use terms of recovery in an attempt to control the behavior of others.
I pretend to agree with others to get what I want.
Avoidance Patterns:
I act in ways that invite others to reject, shame, or express anger toward me.
I judge harshly what others think, say, or do.
I avoid emotional, physical, or sexual intimacy as a means of maintaining distance.
I allow my addictions to people, places, and things to distract me from achieving intimacy in relationships.
I use indirect and evasive communication to avoid conflict or confrontation.
I diminish my capacity to have healthy relationships by declining to use all the tools of recovery.
I suppress my feelings or needs to avoid feeling vulnerable.
I pull people toward me, but when they get close, I push them away.

I refuse to give up my self-will to avoid surrendering to a power that is greater than myself.
I believe displays of emotion are a sign of weakness.
I withhold expressions of appreciation.
The Patterns and Characteristics of Codependency may not be reprinted or republished without the express written consent of Co-Dependents Anonymous, Inc. This document may be reprinted from the website coda.org (CoDA) for use by members of the CoDA Fellowship. -
SMP
January 20th, 2017 at 10:32 AMWhoa, this was long….. I do want to add though that I totally ageee on two points. When people do stonewall it is true, they (we) are operating from a very young mind, a childish defense mechanism. Not always is it childish in a manner to annoy; but sometimes there hasn’t been growth to know how to cope in any other fashion. Also, I do think that people need to understand their reasoning behind their codependency just in case they do end up with a stonealler and feel like there is no way out. It’s very tough communicating with someone who is not willing to speak up and sometimes you do need to walk away. Even if it’s just for a time. The stonewaller and the “stonewallee” both need to heal.
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Amanda
January 8th, 2019 at 7:11 AMI have a friend..or sort-of friend…or acquaintance who does this. He constantly forgets things, lies, and keep secrets, The lies are insulting to my intelligence, they are so transparent and illogical. If he does not want to do something I invite him to do, he just stops communicating. Just doesn’t respond to the text, rather than saying that he would prefer to do something else. So rude. But on the other hand, he can be quite generous and fun, inviting me to dinner on my birthday, etc. I think he is largely unaware of what he does and largely unaware, period. When I try to bring any problem in the relationship that I would like to work out, he just stonewalls me. He also stays in terrible relationships where he is treated badly, and pretends it is fine. It just seems his whole life is a jumble of lies, and I don’t even really know who he is. We have known each other for over 30 years, so it’s hard to let go, but I think I am ready. I just feel like crap every time I deal with him.
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Lisa
February 16th, 2019 at 10:06 PMHi! I know how you feel, as I am in the same boat. Only trouble is, when you say “fine, leave then”, they will, often coming back to inflict this same bulls*** in another month. I’m in the process of calling it quits with my husband as we speak. But I know when he comes back from his week away, he’ll try and say he doesn’t want this. Again. It’s a broken record. Leave him before you lose your dignity. I know I almost lost mine!
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Elizabeth
February 10th, 2017 at 5:11 AMI have not being coping as a steparent generally but my stepdaughter has been living with us for over a year (19 now), which I never wanted…nor the son now 21 and moved on. I have been becoming increasingly unwell and spending less and less quality time with my partners and my 8 year old son. Anyway…getting help from 19 year old around the house has been an issue ever since day 1. I have been there step for over 10 years and between ex wives, partner leaving me with his kids a lot of the time while he worked and feeling like an outsider and alone generally I cracked it with SD again and she walked out. It is coming up for a week of stonewalling and I find it quite cruel. I understand he has lost his daughter but I lost my sense of self a long time ago. I feel like I have been used and if something didn’t give my health both physically and mentally would. Step decided to go as she was walking on eggshells and couldn’t cope! Ok I can accept that, I am 53 and menopausal and suffer from depression. Anyway parner has not spoken to me since roughly a week ago and sees all my justifications as excused. We are of course all hurt.
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anonymous
February 22nd, 2017 at 7:37 AMI am guilty of stonewalling… it is my protection against sever overstepping of boundaries and rude behavior from my partner. Frankly, I don’t give a sh*t if he feels emotionally abused, since he clearly does not care that I feel abused and greatly disrespected in the first place. I am biding my time to get out of that hell (need to secure some stuff first)… stonewalling my way through it. I am sick an tired of engaging in “talks” that are nothing more then judgements about me and telling me I do not deserve his love or affection. Why would I engage with him in such situations? Why would I want subject myself to this bs over and over again?
No – stonewalling can be a powerful tool of self-protection .. even if one get’s physically attacked for refusing to talk. I don’t care, he can’t take that away from me and it is MY power to hold – the only one I have left.
Hopefully I am out by the end of next month -
Adele
February 23rd, 2017 at 1:42 PMI have found that stonewalling hurts the stonewaller more than the stonewallee. Though it’s a hero’s journey, staying in one’s own garden, not allowing the other’s negative comments to trigger our own wounded inner child is a strategy that has good results. I do the following steps this order: 1. Recognition that my spouse’s inner child is wounded and acting out. 2. Removing myself physically as best I can. 3. Recognizing my own inner child’s wounds are being triggered by my spouse’s inner child’s behavior. 4. Telling myself he is mentally ill and can’t help it. Again, it takes strength for sure and it’s working. Good luck to you.
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Esther
April 4th, 2017 at 10:09 AMYou are so good at hiding you can’t even use your name.
Can I ask what kind of power are you hoping to gain? Clearly you do not feel like yo have any power in the relationship.If you had any strength at all, any ounce of caring for other humans or compassion, you would apologize and change your behavior. It’s been my experience that people do not talk to their spouses about problems that don’t exist. For some reason you can not see that it must be difficult for the other person, your spouse to bring up the situation that hurt them, your behaviors… especially when they know you will stonewall. Trust me they are all ready of thinking of leaving you or they wouldn’t bring it up. Stop thinking you are perfect and incapable of hurtful behavior and be glad someone cares enough about you to tell you they are hurting and that they want to work it out.
Try not to disillusion yourself that there is someone out there that will accept your behaviors. If there is someone that will let you treat them poorly, you will not respect them. maybe that’s what you want, someone to beat up on, someone to take all your pain and anxieties on because no one listen to you?
Well your spouse is trying to listen to you and they see you are hurting and they want to reach out. Have you considered owning up to your weakness and fears and trying to live in harmony, by being kind and humble? Have you ever thought that apologizing might allow someone to keep loving you? -
Judah
April 6th, 2017 at 12:54 AMTo Esther, Who is your intended to be to? You say ‘you can’t even use your real name’ .
How would you know? And what does that have to do with anything anyway?
If you are replying directly to me then you seem to know an awful lot about my situation to pass your expertise and commentary. You are in no position to judge and make suggestions (which weren’t asked for). If you’re sticking up for my spouse then I have to ask why? And how would you know anything about the situation? -
Angela
July 11th, 2017 at 10:43 PMI met this guy 2016 and he didn’t tell me that hs married I suspected that due to his unavailability that’s questionable after hours when I call him insisted so he can tell the truth and eventually he did but said he doesn’t have a marriage certificate can u believe man! I rlly love this man and we have strong feelings we connect sexually and we’ve done things tht I’ve never done before with anyone. The chemistry tht we have is dangerous and hs confessed sed that this is new because he is not used into such. I make him crazy but I’ve got an issue with this guy. He can’t handle a conflict he switch me off and detach himself and disappear for weeks come bck wanting me bck. We’ve broken up for more than 3 times and got bck together and I’m tired of this back and forth. Before I used to pursue a chat when he starts with his immature behavior but now I stopped talking cz I felt this is draining I mean he needs to e the one begging me I would try to reach out but he would just ignore me. Now we not talking we had a conflict and he detached himself and switch off… I’ve been quite and ddnt ask him anything but I feel this has to stop. How do you handle this issue cz I’m rlly hurt and I love the guy
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Tina
February 28th, 2017 at 9:30 PMI can’t believe just how common this problem is. Reading everyone’s posts has really opened my eyes. So many of us are just stuck in a cycle of frustration without knowing how to get out. At least we can all talk here 💕 Vent a little bit. I wish communication with our loved ones was easier…
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TSO
March 4th, 2017 at 4:01 PMThis is happening right now. Been with my husband for 14 years. About 10 years ago he stonewalled me for 4 days which has been the longest time. Almost a year ago he stonewalled me for 3 days. Today is the 3rd day of stonewalling. 3 weeks ago I found calls on his cell phone to a female coworker that was made after work hours. I asked him about it and of course he denied and offered little explanation. We’ve been having marital problems already before this happened, with several threats from him of “I’m leaving, I’m not in love you with anymore, this isn’t working out,” etc. So I’ve been trying my best to make him happy and make things work for almost a year now. But he’s been expecting me to be perfect, which means I have to be ok with everything he does and never disagree with anything he does. So when I found these calls, his explanation was “I hardly talk to this girl, nothing’s going on. You need to believe me.” That was it. I needed to accept that explanation otherwise take it or leave it. That was 3 weeks ago. 4 days ago he forgot his work cell phone at home. I decided to check it and, lo and behold, this female coworker’s number was in the call log like crazy. Calls during work hours, after work hours. I called him while he was at work and asked him why was this girl’s number all over his work phone. All I got was attitude for looking at the phone, denial, and anger. He offered no explanation and refused to talk about it saying “I’m at work, I don’t have time for this, I’m not doing this now.” He kept hanging up on me and then blocked my calls. Out of frustration and anger, I called the female coworker on his work cell. I asked her what was going on between them. Her reponse was that there was nothing going on and that the relationship was strictly platonic. I was not rude to her in any way. I thanked her for answering my questions and asked if she would keep the conversation between us. Of course she didn’t, once she got to work she told another coworker about the call who then told my husband. My husband was furious. He started calling me names like psycho, insane, and weirdo. He said I am so disrespectful to him. How dare I call her and embarrass him like that in front of his coworkers. He said I had no right and that I should of waited until he was ready to explain. He gave a lame excuse that another coworker was using his work cell to call this girl because he was in a committed relationship with someone else and didn’t want to get caught. Yeah right. My husband said our marriage is done over this and that I’ve gone too far this time. He said “if HR gets a word of this, I could lose my job,” then proceeded to try to make me feel guilty that he was going to lose his job over me calling this coworker. He accepts no responsibility whatsoever. He puts all the blame on me, not just in this particular situation, but most of all our fights. I am sick and tired of this and I refuse to apologize and kiss his ass when I feel I’ve done nothing wrong! He said he was moving out but he hasn’t moved out. I think I would prefer him moving out than dealing with his stonewalling. I hate it! I have such anxiety and frustration. I feel so dejected and depressed. I deserve an apology and he feels I don’t deserve one because of what I did. He said “after what you did, you don’t deserve an explanation or apology. I am so sick of this. I wish he would just leave. He doesn’t make that much money, i’m the bread winner, so I think he hasn’t moved out yet because he can’t afford to. To anyone reading this, you are not alone if you are being stonewalled. I’m going through it right now and it is horrible. You and I deserve better.
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Lara
March 4th, 2017 at 11:50 PMSorry to hear about this TSO.
It sounds like he’s blocking you in an instant from asking any questions about this girl.
He wants to send you a message that you are to ask no questions.
Nobody deserves to be told I don’t love you anymore and the marriage is over. What have you done that is so terrible that the marriage needs to end.You just be feeling so sad but please lift your spirits up and try to be strong. I have been through exactly this. I was so low down that I suffered from anxiety.
Are you able to get a part time job or enrol in a course somewhere so that you are not always alone thinking about this issue?All the best and take it easy.
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TSO
April 6th, 2017 at 4:55 PMThank you for the reply. I am getting stone walled again! At first I was dying and so depressed, but now I am so angry I’m glad he’s stonewalling me! I know it’s probably not healthy, but the anger helps me cope! I think about what a P.O.S he is with his emotional abuse and it makes me feel better. He did something wrong and instead of accepting blame and appologize he flips it around on me and gives me the cold shoulder. Well F*%* him! I’m so sick of this crap! I still don’t have the guts to kick him out but if he leaves, like he’s been threatening to for the past year, I won’t care a bit! I know I will be sad but thinking about all the pros of him leaving lefts my spirits. No more getting taken for granted, no more walking on eggshells, no more verbal or emotional abuse, no more getting blamed for everything, no more unappreciation, no more hurt!
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Someone1
May 19th, 2017 at 3:19 PM@TCO Just because your husband was hanging around a woman at work doesn’t mean he’s cheating on you. Maybe they’re working on a project together or something. I had a male colleague once I was good friends with and his wife fussed about it – which was really weird. We never did anything, we’d hang out after hours and get drinks together, but never had trouble keeping our hands to ourselves or our clothes on. His wife getting jealous was toxic to our work relationship, and that kind of behavior is toxic to women in the work place as whole. If you got drinks with your male colleague to talk about your asshole boss, would you want his wife to treat you the way you treated her? I also don’t know if he does on call work, but it’s pretty common to call colleagues after hours these days, especially in fields that keep a 24 hour operations (smaller companies do this informally). If you really don’t believe your husband can talk to a woman on the phone without breaking his vows to you, you either need help, or a new husband.
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TSO
May 27th, 2017 at 4:29 PM@someone1 Yes I understand you can have a friendship with a coworker of the opposite sex, but if you are married, that friendship should be known to your spouse. Especially if you make plans to hang out with this coworker after work, that should also be told to your spouse and not hidden by a cover up lie of “hanging out with the guys.” And no, my husband does not do any kind of “work projects” with this female. They work in 2 different departments and completely different fields. If the friendship is strictly platonic, there is no need to keep it hidden from a spouse. I am not jealous, I was blindsided by this situation since my husband chose to hide it from me. I did not even know this girl existed. Since my husband wouldn’t answer my questions, I chose to call her and see if she would answer them. My husband is the jealous 1 since he constantly accuses me of cheating without any evidence or proof. I have never cheated on my husband. I believe he projects his own dishonest behavior onto me.
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Gail
April 22nd, 2017 at 1:17 AMMy husband has been stonewalling me for weeks now over an issue I would say we both have faults. It’s so hard to talk to him even if I use the gentlest approach. Whenever I reach out to him, I feel like I am laying my hand on a sleeping lion. He could either feel the tenderness of my words and touch or… growl at me. Lately, it’s been the latter and I feel so hurt and exhausted. We keep falling into this viscous cycle where he would torment me with his coldness, creating walls where I can’t seem to reach him. How do I break this invisible wall without enraging the lion?
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Tso
March 4th, 2017 at 7:43 PMThis is happening to me right now. The first time my husband stonewalled me was about 10 years ago. It lasted for 4 days. Almost a year ago he stonewalled me for 3 days. Today is the 4th day that my husband is stonewalling me. 2016 was a difficult year for us. Several times in 2016 he said he didn’t love me, didn’t want to be with me, he was going to move out, etc. I read a lot of “save your marriage” books and articles and my husband didn’t move out. However, whenever there is an argument, even if it’s his fault, I get blamed. My husband does not take any accountability whatsoever. If he does it’s “I’m sorry but you made me….” do that, act like that, respond like that, etc. 3 weeks ago he called a female coworker after work hours. When I asked him about it he first denied it, said the number belonged to a male coworker until he finally gave me a feeble excuse and a reply of “nothing’s going on, I don’t hardly ever talk to her. That was the 1st time I called. You need to trust me. You need to believe in me.” Now cut to 4 days ago, he forgets his work cell phone at home. I look thru the call log and, lo and behold, guess who’s number is in there like crazy? The female coworker’s. There are multiple calls during work hours and after work hours. I call him when he’s at work and ask him about it. The response I get is attitude for looking thru the phone, indignation, denial, and anger. He tells me “I don’t have time for this. I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t call her. I’m at work. Leave me alone.” He hangs up on me repeatedly, then he blocks my calls. Out of frustration and anger I call the girl on his work cell. She tells me there’s nothing going on and that their relationship is strictly platonic. I am not rude to her in any way. I thank her answering my questions and ask her to keep the conversation between the 2 of us. Of course she doesn’t and she tells another coworker about our conversation who then tells my husband. My husband was furious. He called me crazy, pyscho, insane, and a weirdo. He said I should have waited until he was ready to explain. He said I have no respect for him and I embarrassed him so badly in front of his coworkers. He said I went too far this time and that he is done. He said our marriage is done. He tried to make me feel guilty by saying “if HR gets wind of this, I can lose my job. You’re trying to ruin people’s lives, especially mine.” He said because of what I did, I don’t deserve an apology or an explanation. Although he did give me a weak explanation that it was a coworker who used his work cell phone to call this girl, because he is in a committed relationship and doesn’t want to get caught by using his own personal cell phone. Yeah right. So now I’m being stonewalled. My husband is calling my actions unforgivable. I do not deserve this. It is not my fault! I have not done anything wrong! All I wanted to know was the truth, and if he wasn’t going to give it to me, I had to find it somewhere else. He expects me to grovel and apologize, but I will not. He hasn’t moved out yet but I wish he did. I think I would feel better with him being gone than dealing with his stonewalling. He doesn’t make much money, I am the bread winner of the family, so that’s why I think he hasn’t moved out yet. He can’t afford to. It is unbearable dealing with his stonewalling. I feel so dejected and unloved. He makes me feel worthless. I do not deserve this. And if you’re reading this and you’re being stonewalled too, you don’t deserve this either.
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Kelly
March 24th, 2017 at 9:03 AMMy mom climbed over the stonewall and ran free 20yrs ago. Now, i have a stonewall and its so high i am not sure i can climb to freedom….but i will surely try!
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Dave
April 22nd, 2017 at 3:42 AMWow this is SO close to home here! My wife is the classic stonewaller in our marriage, and after doing some digging and detective work, I learned that she was exactly the same in her previous marriage (he asked to leave after six months, then she hid and stonewalled their divorce so she could string out his health insurance benefits). So there is a pattern: in our marriage, I communicated. She did not, except for talking in circles, creating chaos, and defying logic at times with her stories. When I’d get to the point of having to suspend disbelief just to hear her, I’d point out that something didn’t make sense or didn’t align with reality and then BOOM!… she’d just shut down and stonewall. I got blamed for everything… I talked too much, wanted to know too much, didn’t know when to shut up, etc etc… these were her favorite weapons to use when she would begin to stonewall. Her covert abuse, the rejection, the controlling silent treatment, all of it drove me to the brink of craziness. I had invested everything in us, she invested nothing. It was cruel. She has convinced herself and others that, because I felt it was best to always tell the truth and get to the basis of a problem… that I was abusive. Her silence and apathy has been more abusive than ever.
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Gail
April 22nd, 2017 at 6:16 PMHi Dave,
I understand and feel for you. The same thing is happening with me and I am really lost. I cannot agree more when you said her silence and apathy has been more abusive than ever. I heard that no amount of coaxing can thaw this wall of ice. On the contrary, the more we talk, even the best way we know how, they only shut down to us even more. How do we live in a marriage devoid of love and communication?
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Brad
April 23rd, 2017 at 3:08 PMWow. Just wow. I’m a stonewaller and I have it. It’s not done to gain control of my wife. I can’t control it from happening. It kills her and she always reacts more aggressively. She suffers from PTSD so I shut down once I see her going into a panic attack or if the situation is escalated. I’ve tried leaving the house, suggested seperating, and nothing is working. Granted, stonewalling is not a healthy way to resolve anything, but how does one stop? I can’t leave or take a time out because that triggers her and then I get to deal with threats of suicide, then that leads to more Stone walking. I’ve even been Baker acted as a result of all of it. So don’t go saying we all do this sh$t as a way to control things. I don’t want that control whatsoever, I want the conflict to end. I shut down because it feels like if i say how I’m feeling, it’ll add fuel to the fire. a few of you mention gaslighting, as does my wife. So how is it that if someone shuts down and you react violently, or with anger, that itself isn’t gaslighting? It makes us question everything too!!! So while I do agree that some people will utilize stonewalling to gain control. It’s unfathomable to say that’s the case for everyone. I get verbally abused and keep my mouth shut so I don’t further escalate the issue, but then I get called abusive for it? That’s bull sh#t people. My wife has no clue how I feel about most things because I’m so terrified that if I open my mouth, her PTSD kicks in and to avoid the cops showing up, I stonewall because let’s be serious, I can’t mess anything else up if I just shut up!!!
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Gail
April 23rd, 2017 at 6:56 PMHi Brad,
I never meant to say that stonewallers do it on purpose to abuse. Sorry if any of my comments offended you. I guess I just feel so dead-ended, like banging my head on a stonewall, because my husband has shut down on me. I believe your reasons and I do believe it’s his too. My husband is a highly logical person and on our better times, he did tell me that by being silent he feels that he is saving the situation, saving us from further hurting each other. I do see his logic but I guess I’ve just always believed in communication. I worry that this shutting down on each other, while it saves us from another heated talk, will create a growing gap between us.
As a self-confessed stonewaller, how do you hope your wife can approach you on your issues? Hope you can help me find some light.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 3:52 PMGail, stonewallers do do it on purpose to abuse. I think Brad’s confused about the definition of “stonewalling.” Someone who’s tongue tied or afraid–isn’t stonewalling. They’re unable to talk. And they would have no problem of telling their partner that …eventually. Brad, tell her what you told us. But a “stonewaller” doesn’t want to talk to his partner or resolve anything. He just wants to do whatever he wants without any consequences and doesn’t care about his partner’s issues. That’s abusive. Brad can go to therapy and learn to communicate. The true stonewaller never will get help or change his ways. Unless he wants to.
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Katie
July 5th, 2017 at 2:51 PMHi Brad, I see your point, and its not fair to assign all stonewallers the same motive, not is the other partner always faultless. I am with a stonewaller right now, and its just the lack of communication that hurts. I feel crazy sometimes, but in order to have peace I stuff my feelings down to the point where I am not even an authentic person anymore. I wish my partner realized he was a stonewaller and how painful it is. I want to have open communication and I want to be a loving supportive partner, but I need to be heard too, without being punished. I hope you and your wife can find some help, and there is hope, I think, since you recognize the behavior in yourself. It takes two to tango as the say, and I suppose everyone here would be helped if they realized that.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 3:48 PMBrad, come on, man. 1. Of course you can control your stonewalling. You’re the ONLY one who can control yourself. so cut -out the b.s. You can get therapy. You can tell her what you told us. You can…etc. 2. Of course “stonewalling is not the best way to resolve anything. In fact, if you continue stonewalling you are guaranteed NEVER TO RESOLVE ANYTHING. So stop lying to yourself and learn to communicate. Or else go live in a cave by yourself. Please.
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Marian
May 23rd, 2017 at 11:09 PMAfter reading maybe 1/3 of these comments, I feel very gloomy and almost hopeless. I won’t comment on my own relationship in this post — maybe I will later; we’ll see. I am discouraged that so many relationships seem to be poisoned and hopeless. I realize that happy people don’t complain and so we don’t hear from them. But, if you read comments like these often enough, you come to believe all marriages are in a mess. My heart goes out to all those who wrote who are hurting. I hope things improve for you before long. Remember, my friends, “It’s always darkest before the dawn”. I hope somebody finds this saying helpful. – M.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 3:56 PMUnfortunately, Marian, there are far too many unhappy marriages. We need to teach nonviolent and fair conflict resolution to our children. It’s hard for them when they haven’t many good examples of it. Including our own President. But we can all try to help each other and call out bullying and abuse when we see it. And insist on fair conflict resolution. If we all insist on it–things will change.
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Heatherhowa
May 26th, 2017 at 8:55 AMSo, my husband has been stonewalling for a good portion f my marriage. One day, he was caught chatting to a female co-worker about me in the worst way. So, remember – When stonewalling is taking place between you and your partner – it may mean that your partner is in communication with someone else who is helping to drive and prolong this energy. Be careful!
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Rodger
May 30th, 2017 at 4:21 AMHi, I have just been told by my wife that she feels she is being ” stonewalled ” by me , what does that mean? , I asked, google it was the reply , so I did and here I am reading a lot of the responses , WOW !!!! What a mind opener , GUILTY !!!!! Yes I proceed with this form of behaviour purely in fear of being put down again in everything I do , say ,etc , I would rather have minimal conversation rather than get into a $?@/ slanging fight over trivial nonsense, Ladies,with all due respect , from where I sit the balance of the scales appears to be very heavy on the male side, as my dear old mom always said to me , son , just remember this, it always takes two to tango!! Yes , I am guilty but for reasons of fear , insucurity, no ability to communicate at the higher level , just wish to be happy without living in fear of retribution ,I could say more but I dare not in fear of being found out of talking about our relationship in public to a bunch of strangers, thanks and good wishes to all
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Jill T.
June 1st, 2017 at 3:14 PMHats off to Rodger! Thank you for seeing and understanding what some of us are going through. Please use this to help your situation, if you love your wife and want to keep her happy, sane, loyal and confident, then try even slowly to let her talk and you participate in a conversation that if done properly out of love, total love, it will help any situation. Good luck!
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 4:03 PMUh…Roger nope! Just because YOU have insecurity and communication issues is NO excuse for your stonewalling your wife. Minimal conversation guarantees your conflict will never be resolved and your marriage will always be hell. If not divorced in the end. The very fact that you say, “rather than get into a $?@/ slanging fight over trivial nonsense” is a dead giveaway. 1. How do you know it’s trivial nonsense if you refused to listen and discuss it. 2. What you may consider “trivial nonsense” may be very important to your wife. 3. What’s your goal? If it’s a good marriage, happy life and peace on earth–you’d better learn to communicate. Because ALL relationships will have conflict. The trick is learning how to resolve it. It does take 2 to tango–and from where you sit–you ain’t dancing, son! Now learn to communicate, get some therapy, read some books–whatever it takes and DANCE!
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Obscurityknocks
December 29th, 2018 at 4:25 PMIt doesn’t take two to tango, it takes one to abuse. The form of stonewalling that is used to shut someone down for the fear of emotional abandonment; it is actually abuse, it results in the other partner keeping quiet about things that hurt them, because they know it’s just a waste of time. It’s invalidation and the stonewaller chooses to do it, if it was done pretty early on in the relationship it’s all part of the grooming process to put the health of the relationship onto the other partner’s shoulders so they think they’re always to blame. The stonewaller doesn’t understand the concept of accountability and never will. I’m not talking about people who shut down for fear of confrontation. I’m talking about total invalidation and emotional abuse, real stonewalling plays a massive part of it and, to be honest, a real stonewaller wouldn’t dream of admitting that it’s what they are. They never take responsibility, not ever. They all sing from the same hymn sheet and the tactics are almost identical. Most people on here recognise the similarity immediately. These comments could be written about the same man or a group of men who know one another. The tactics employed by emotional abusers are generally the same.
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Rodger
May 30th, 2017 at 4:43 AMHaving read the posted comments and feedback, I now would like to understand more on this subject, as I am seeking help I now know I have a subject to discuss ,before I was not able to express my emotions, feelings with the marriage and now I have a chance of getting a better understanding of what is happening to me and how long this had been happening without me realizing there is an unresolved issue ,I now really would like to resolve it , thank you all for enlightening me, cheers .
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Anonymous
June 1st, 2017 at 10:03 PMI haven’t been able to communicate my thoughts for many years. When my boyfriend wants to talk to me I clam up. About anything really. He’s currently sleeping on the couch because he’s angry and frustrated that I don’t talk to him. It’s equally as frustrating for me that I can’t verbalize or even think of an answer. Its like my brain shuts down. I absolutely hate it and I know it’s going to be the reason I end up alone. I don’t know what triggered this or why I can’t just have a normal conversation like everyone else. I’m either afraid of what his reaction will be or that what I say will be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Sometimes I want to say something so badly but then I just can’t get the words out. I was in abusive relationships in the past, I’ve suffered from bipolar disorder, PTSD, anxiety and depression. I don’t know if it’s stemming from my previous relationships or if there’s just something wrong with me. How can I force myself to speak when I physically feel like I can’t? It’s not just during arguments. I haven’t been able to talk to him about my past, what I want for the future or what’s wrong when he asks me. I hate it. I love him and want to be with him but I just can’t seem to communicate. I can write my feelings down but can’t say it out loud (or even bring myself to show him the many notes I’ve jotted down about what I was thinking and feeling). What’s wrong with me? I don’t know what to do.
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Jill t.
June 2nd, 2017 at 1:03 PMBelieve it or not I am a survivor of extreme physical and mental abuse. I on the other hand feel a need to express myself. My ex would not let me talk or defend myself during or after his explosive fits of rage. I am dealing with the stonewalling from my boyfriend off and on during our relationship. You mentioned that you write things down but have not had the courage to give them to your boyfriend. While in the two different abusive relationships I had back to back, over a period of about 25 years combined, with would write all of my feelings down in a notebook and hide it, this is extremely therapeutic to me. Maybe if you start out as if you were writing a book on yourself, explaining your life and your past in detail, then start adding where your relationship begins with him and write it through the present time. Explain your fears and be as honest as you can, even if it’s embarrassing and painful. I truly believe he would see things in a different way once given all the details of your life. If he has a heart and loves you it would have to crush him to his core. I believe you might have some type of panic attacks when any confrontational issues occur with the relationship. If you seemed overwhelmed with giving him the letter/journal then put it in a box, drawer, somewhere and if you have to text him the info to find it and read it. You can even mail it to him regardless if he lives with you or not. There has to be a way to break free from this. When you’ve been abused the abuser keeps winning as long as we let those memories and baggage interfere in a negative way. So we have to try and break free from it somehow. I was so damaged from growing up with some issues, then suffering from abusive marriages that once I divorced the last time I didn’t date for 13 years. If you feel like you can’t cope on your own I beg you to seek help outside your home. Everyday that we are not happy is a day we can’t get back. Life is to short and precious not to be happy. I truly feel your situation can be helped. Everyday I look in the mirror I see signs of what I call survivor scars, yes I have suffered a lot, but God has kept us alive for a reason. Please take baby steps if you have to, I think once you take that first step you will feel such a release, it will eventually get easer until hopefully you can start verbalizing some of your thoughts. I pray you receive the strength and courage to move forward one step at a time.
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Anonymous
June 2nd, 2017 at 7:29 PMThank you for your kind words. I like your ideas and appreciate you sharing with me. I will try that and hope to be able to make progress.
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Hitesh
October 25th, 2017 at 4:44 PMYou might have Asperghers, please get yourself a diagnosis. An understanding well-wisher.
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Frustrated
January 28th, 2020 at 11:49 AMSleep. Concentrate on keeping me down and happy. Duh
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Erin
June 2nd, 2017 at 3:01 PMThis is one of my fears. I didn’t have a word for it (until I read this), but I am afraid that I will become an unhappy, bitter person who pushes people away and can’t connect with people. I do this now as a way to avoid conflict with my mum who expects things to be a certain way – since moving back home, I’ve realized how every so often she’s vehemently judgmental of people’s struggles… so far she hasn’t hit on anything I really struggle with, but I’m not giving her any ammunition just in case. But I don’t like myself very much whenever I do that – I’m successfully defending myself, at the price of my values/what I believe is important!
Reading this blog is actually just procrastinating in looking up apartment rentals. I’m leaving this situation and learning to like myself again.
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Tim
June 7th, 2017 at 11:14 AMI’ve experienced this for 6 years whilst married, and it’s continued on after the divorce, horrendous cruelty where even now I’m suffering every day.
I’ve a wonderful son, so I have to try and communicate with my ex. When money’s mentioned I get a reply but everything else is ignored. She also took my son and moved five hours away, I had no idea this was going to happen.
I stopped looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve tried, tried and tried for nearly 7 years, I would of achieved more if I just hadn’t tried at all.
Once the police established that my son had a roof over his head and went to school, that was all that mattered.
I was and am in no mental state to deal with anything really. Child taken, money taken, depts left with me.
I feel that there are no answers to my situation, made especially hard when She’s a counsellor and is now living with a policeman. Honestly! All true.
I’ve never been able to carry out suicide, but imagined. This has left me in a situation where when she continues to stonewall me, my brain is unable to think, cope or carry on with daily tasks. Trying to keep all bills paid whilst suffering from the symptoms of stonewalling is really hard.
Taking my son, she could not of done anything more cruel.
If anyone out there can give me a crumb of hope, I’d appreciate it.
Thanks -
Jill T.
June 7th, 2017 at 1:26 PMFor Tim,
If you can try to imagine a life where you can be happy and have all the things you’ve ever wanted in a relationship to be given to you. We suffer in different types of relationships but at the end of the day God will send you someone when you least expect it that will make all of this worth it I promise. His timing is his timing, I am having just a small issue with stonewalling but in comparison to the extremely abusive relationships I’ve had, physical, mental, emotional, cheating, this that I am experiencing is nothing like I’ve had to deal with . I just didn’t know there was a name for it until I looked it up. My boyfriend doesn’t do it all the time but enough that it’s irritating. He was cheated on for years and thought this marriage was normal with no affection and lack of sex, she didn’t act like a wife but a sister or roommate. He thought of suicide many times and lost over twenty pounds the first month, he drank every night just to pass out so he didn’t have to sleep alone in the bed they once shared. He was in the darkest place possible. He met me and had his feelings and heart closed off , but after five weeks into us dating he wanted to be exclusive. We have been together ever since, two and a half years later. He says he wished he had met me fifteen years ago, and I know he means it. I am so good to him that he says that he doesn’t deserve me, that he is the luckiest man in the world. If he had gone through with his thoughts during those dark days he would have missed out on what he has now. God truly doubled his reward. Just try your best to think there’s a different life for you out there, one day you will see this as just a bad memory. If your ex want talk to you then perhaps you can get a third person involved from one side of your family’s or a mutual friend. Maybe you can relocate closer to your son at some point. If this doesn’t work for her, then hopefully she will move back. Just tell God what’s in your heart and I know without a doubt he will listen. Try to stay busy and don’t isolate yourself from family and friends. If you can find a support group in your area that would be helpful. Local churches have programs for divorced men and women. Try to stay positive and FaceTime your son and keep in touch with him as much as you can. You can even watch tv together through FaceTime. It’s the next best thing when your miles away. Try to get your family on board to go visit him regularly so the trips are easier all the way around. This will all come back on her one day, you do what’s right and God will take care of the rest! Good luck and please keep us posted, we really care about you and your situation. -
Katie
July 5th, 2017 at 3:01 PMHi Tim, For what it’s worth, I think moving the child away was a cr@p move on her part and I am sorry you are suffering through that. I know it’s not much, but I wanted you to know that someone out here in cyberspace ‘hears’ you. Katie
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Christina
June 25th, 2017 at 7:22 PMUgh I Am so BROKEN right now!!! My husband has been stonewalling me for 5 full days now! And it so damn hurtful because we got into such a stupid fight there has to be something else that’s bothering him but he refuses to open up and discuss it with me!! He won’t even eat the food I make for him he just looks away as if I don’t exist! I have learned so much about this horrible behavior of his! This is him being controlling and enjoying the fact that it is killing me inside! I honestly feel as if this marriage is about to end! So heart broken right now I can’t even think straight! And I can see this is hurting our children too God help us all my heart goes out to all who are being emotionally abused with this horrible personality trait or condition whatever the hell it is!!! Thank you for letting2 me vent on your page!
Thx, Christina B. -
Katie
July 5th, 2017 at 3:04 PMHi Christina,
My stonewaller does this too! He won’t eat food I make. He won’t even eat dinner or help me with the kids. The stonewalling extends into these areas of our lives. -
Wendy
July 26th, 2017 at 5:30 AMIt is so frustrating…I feel your pain! I just came off a twelve day stonewalling because I shared I was overwhelmed with some things in my life one and most important one was my friend dying of CA. My therapist tells me to to look at him with compassion because he truly thinks everything I feel is about him…everything! He is damaged goods but being the one to bring them back to reality when your emotional needs have not been met is difficult. I build resentments and then we get in a stupid cycle. Without our therapist I wouldn’t still be here…I would have walked. It may still happen but I am trying to use the tools they gave me…that is all I can do. I cant fix him! So frustrating!
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chris
March 3rd, 2018 at 3:20 PMHow about a man that yells and screams to prevent a discussion about which widget to buy. Looking forward to your reply. maybe i should explain.. the object up for discussion is something used by us daily and not related to female chore nor male chores.
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Carl
June 28th, 2017 at 7:25 PMI live with my mum, I am 50 and because my mum has been divorced for 15 years she fears to live alone. It has now come to a point where I feel completely controlled by my mother and I am unable to live my life how I want, I work on living my life around her fulfilling her needs first. For about a year now she has developed a habit of asking me to repeat what I have said even if she heard it the first time and today I told her today she has created this habit which she needs to lose and that comment turned into an argument and she accused me of spoiling her happiness, I told her we need to discuss this situation of whenever I mention something that is negative about her that I am accused of spoiling her day, bringing her down and always demeaning her. I tried to explain that I brought this up for her own benefit and people around her won’t want to keep repeating themselves after every conversation, she got all angry and continued to accuse me of destroying her happiness, so I bring up the notion that with my age its time I live alone, that we start living our own lives and have time away from each other and after I said that all hell breaks loose, she cancels her day out and storms out of the house and leaves me feeling like a rotten son who shows no care, I feel like I have been stonewalled and even though I plead that she talks this through with me like an adult she refuses and walks out. So what do I do? is it time for me to flee the nest and start living my life my way, without her constant control and being the person that she can always have around to rely on?. I love my mum but I feel that as she ages she gets more control over me, she told me I can only leave her once a year if I want to go on a holiday by myself and this makes me feel so controlled that I feel like my life is not my own. I wish my mum could discuss this with me in a adult manner but I think she does not want to do that because she does not want to reach a solution that will see her having less control over me, Since I was a young boy she has had a big control over me, when I reached age 20 it was an incredible emotional struggle to leave the nest and probably due to her losing her parents at 7 years old and living within an abusing foster home, she had two terrible marriages and she has very few friends or family who offer support, I am her only constant friend and support. She also suffers from depression and she relies on me most of the time to be her companion, she rarely does anything unless I do it with her. What do I do, I am so lost, any advice would be appreciated.
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Misty
June 29th, 2017 at 4:14 PMI dated a stonewaller…two actually. Worst thing in the world. My first ex- when he would stonewall it was 90% of the time because he was thinking about breaking up with me. Ironically we’re pretty decent friends post breakup. My most recent ex would stonewall, but it was to try to avoid things he didn’t want to do. I asked for him to send me a pic of him while he was visiting Europe. Nope. He danced around it until things escalated into a pretty intense argument. I told him that he was being unfair and using a double standard since he would ask for selfies from me and that I should be allowed the same. And that the reason I wanted a picture was because I missed him, and wanted to see pictures of his experiences. Nope. No explanation, just that we will no longer send pictures to each other and that he didn’t want to talk until he got back from his trip because I was being unreasonable. Then silence for 5 days. When he finally called it was to berate me for “losing it.” The funny thing is that my “losing it” didn’t happen until he said no contact, which led to profuse apologies and tears on my end. (all of this was communicated via text) Fast forward one month, I fly down to visit him for a few days (he had moved to a different state for work). I asked if we could go swimming together. Nope. No explanation. Never held my hand in public down there like he did back home. Berated me for refusing to watch a movie that I told him was against my beliefs. (He thought it was a stupid reason) He did let me use his car, so I guess that’s something. I come home from this lousy trip, and have a really cool spiritual experience that I want to share with him, so I naturally try calling him. (We’d text 10+ times a day. So we had constant communication.) His response is that he’s tired of being on the phone since he was talking with his mom and his friends all day, so I can just text it to him. I try saying that I was really wanting to talk with him and that it would help me feel closer to him. I’m told that “I’ll be fine.” I snapped, called him a jerk, and then ten minutes later apologized for losing my temper and asked to talk about something else. Silence. Day 2- silence. I text him by the end of day two asking if we can set up a time to talk since I’m sure he’s really busy. Silence. Day 3 I text him in the afternoon saying that I’m upset, that I don’t like being ignored, and ask again if we can talk on the phone. He says that was his bad, tells me I have nothing to be upset about, and sidesteps talking over the phone. I ask again if we can talk on the phone since I am still upset and that I don’t want to communicate via text to avoid miscommunication as I want to work this out with him. Silence. Three hours later I tell him that it would mean the world to me if we could talk on the phone. Still silence. Day 4- I tell him that I really need to talk with him at the end of the day. Silence. (And I know for a fact that he read my messages) By the end of the day I reached my limit and said that I couldn’t be in a relationship where he refuses to talk to me and that if he doesn’t call me back by the end of the day that I know he doesn’t want a relationship and that I don’t know what else I could do to reach him since fb, texting, and calling didn’t work. Silence. Day 5- I tell him that I’m sad for the way our relationship ended, but that I still wished him all the best. Silence. A week later I feel that my parting message to him was too brief and cold so I send him a lengthy message via fb thanking him for the things I’ve learned from him (gave specific examples to help boost him up), that I forgive him, and that I hope someday he can forgive me too. Silence. I really really hate stonewalling.
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Merle
July 4th, 2017 at 7:44 AMHi,
I used stonewalling as a tactic to avoid a confrontational spouse and only when I’d already decided to divorce. This was in late 1970’s. I needed to avoid getting myself into bad situations. I had no intention of working on the relationship. The tactic of stonewalling while not always easy to do eventually worked for me and let me have more times of calm. Today I found out my sister is in abusive relationship and I’m cautiously recommending stonewalling for her to accomplish the same. She always wants to engage especially if she is under fire – the target of a conversation which can only end in bigger anger on both sides. I m also giving cautions as to what may result using stonewalling. all relationships are different and I have no idea what may happen in her case if she stonewalls. I’d like to offer any additional effective tools to her and appreciate any suggestions. -
Merle
July 4th, 2017 at 7:52 AMI should add that in my situation, I was coming up with a plan to return to school and prepare myself to support myself and my children. the plan took almost 2 years and my husband took job which took him away for two or more weeks at a time, then home for same amount of time. I tried to be as normal as possible and only used stonewalling when the situation seemed to call for it. I hate arguments especially with someone who believes he has no blame in anything that is wrong. During our marriage I was called stupid, lazy, fat, and worse. I got therapy and stonewalling was a suggestions to avoid conflict. Like I said, it did stop almost all situations from becoming violent and I stopped participating in / engaging in arguments where there was never a ‘win’ for me.
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Cleo
July 9th, 2017 at 8:41 AMI have learnt a lot from your experiences. I have always thought I am a stonewaller . But reading some of the comments I dont think I am. In my nature I am the kind of person who shuts down when I feel like I am cornered, I cant defend myself when I feel i am being attacked. My husband is always confrontational, and thinks he is never wrong. When he has an issue with me , he talks to me rudely like I am a little kid, I end up keeping quite cause I avoid getting into any fight. Then in turn he retaliates and stonewalles me for days, speaks to the kids only. And it really pains me a lot cause I have to share same room and bed with this person who seems to resent me a lot. In other situations, when I have issues with him, I cant bring them up cause he would stonewall me for days. So I spend most of my life walking on egg shells around him. It is like the world revolves around him. He is the one responsible for the mood in the family. I am always scared of saying something that will cause him to go into his stonewalling spells. It is just too tiring.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 4:13 PMLet’s get one thing clear. When your husband is “confrontational,” “rude,” “always right,” “calling you names,” etc. He is NOT communicating. He is ABUSING you and you have every right to disengage. You are not “stonewalling.” You are defending yourself. You must ask him to go to therapy or communicate fairly—if he refuses. Good bye! Otherwise you are committing slow suicide. You can get private therapy to help yourself leave an abusive relationship. God bless you.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 4:16 PMCleo. P.S. Please do it for the kids…I just read where you said your hubby sometimes only talks to the kids. Don’t you know your kids are watching this horror and learning the wrong things? I know it’s difficult. But you love them. Make that your highest priority. And get some therapy to help you–(shop around and make sure it’s someone who understands when you’re being emotionally abused. Because, sweetie, you are.
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Casey
July 25th, 2017 at 3:57 PMMy husband’s version of stonewall is to say “You are done, and you are not talking about this anymore” or to say “I’ll let you know when I decide to listen to you.” Funny thing is, he never comes back and tells me he has decided to listen to me or let me talk. 17 years of this and I have finally gotten enough courage to realize that I am not a defective person for thinking this is behavior is not ok. He likes to tell me that I am. If you find yourself with a man who has you feeling like you can’t talk to him about anything, trust me, it doesn’t get better – it only gets worse. Two marriage therapists, 17 wasted years, and he still thinks this is totally appropriate. Get out now.
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Karl B.
July 28th, 2017 at 10:13 AMDear All,
I am obliged to write this as I have been labelled as a stonewaller… a term I was not even aware of. I love to communicate and know my girlfriend at all cost. In fact I talk too much and she needs to keep on reminding me to let her talk on occasions. The problem between us is we are both strong characters and do not give an inch when we argue. This arguments are not relationship threatening etc. Petty stuff. Just because I love my girlfriend and back off to give her ample time to cool off and come to her senses does not make me or any other person a stonewaller. How can to avoid a person you love and intend to marry to spend the rest of your life with? In certain situations if one partner can back off rather than throwing fuel on fire, I think it’s called common sense. A person who can think rationally hence avoiding a confrontation. In our case if we carry on arguing, I know it will never end. I, after we have had a few issues in the past, have decided to swallow my pride and ego and just shut off till my girlfriend cools off. It has worked in the past and we both have acknowledged that we were both in the wrong as our love for each other is far too strong. -
gustavo
July 31st, 2017 at 10:48 AMIf you knew your girlfriend, you would know that stonewalling is the worst thing you could do. If you want to take a break from an argument, you still need to tell her “why don’t we take a break and come back to this when we have both had a chance to cool down” or something like that. She needs to know that you still care about the relationship. Stonewalling says you don’t care about her feelings or the relationship any more (whether you think it does or not). You have to communicate, not shut down. Otherwise your partner will eventually mentally check out.
Remember: Your relationship should cater to BOTH of you – her feelings are JUST as important as yours.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 4:18 PMCarl. Easy. Tell her what you’re doing and why. Then make a date. And communicate. resolve the issue! But don’t stonewall. Learn conflict resolution techniques. Learn them together? It’s fun!
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Eliza
July 31st, 2017 at 8:23 PMMy husband is the master of all Stonewallers.
I never knew what to call it, but it is extreme. When the kids were little, he’d go sit in the basement and not talk to the children or me for two weeks. Yet, he could go to work and be the biggest phoney with small talk and superficial subjects. Everyone thinks he’s so nice, but he is a manipulative abuser whose behavior makes me feel invisible. He is unaffectionate, selfish, chronically depressed and just a miserable human being. We should be having fun and making the most of every precious day of life, but he is a bastard. He is the biggest jerk now. He sits all day, doesn’t eat, and sleeps. Our son thinks he has something medically wrong with him, but how do I get him to be evaluated? He is so uncooperative. I am in therapy, but he won’t go. I have been married to him for a long time. I know now I should have left him while I still had some life left— I fear now it is too late for me. -
Jonathan
August 13th, 2017 at 3:30 PMWhy would it be too late for you Eliza? Leaving could be best both for you and your kids. It does indeed sound like your husband has a chronic condition. Don’t give up on your dreams, you deserve better.
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Kym
August 14th, 2017 at 4:57 PMHello, there has been some very familiar comments that has me thinking I have finally found the answer on how I have been feeling for 8 yrs.. I never wanted to believe my loved one was not in to my concerns I would brush it off he might have never experienced good communication so he would have to learn comfort with in him so he can express his feeling. As time went on I started feeling like a lot of ladies feel, NOT HEARD, JUST NAGGING, B#TCHING, and what ever else that would be said in a negative way to turn the conversation to an argument. What happens them he would be done saying anything telling me ” just let this rest it will work out” now I’m worked up and feel ignored so there I go I end up on the couch no more conversation crying because there’s no situation that’s resolved and wake up tomorrow still in a bad mood and he thinks everything okie dokie. So I’m left having to deal with the problem I feel the problem I know the problem my problem to overlook the problem I have to deal with and just forget everything even happen and it normally pops up about every week. I called that putting a Band-Aid over a room and not dealing with that and it gets infected and it festers now I think that frivolous things aren’t required to have the importance of carrying it through to the next day but I do think that there’s serious problems with the realtionship when there’s alway that one person that alway shut down feelings and conversation.. that’s not love that’s not care that’s not respect that’s not sympathy that’s not empathy that sounds to me that someone just don’t want to face the facts and fix the problem….
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Claire
September 5th, 2017 at 6:50 PMMy husband of almost 29 years has mastered the “art” of stonewalling. It is one of the most destructive forms of emotional abuse, and my husband uses it every time I say anything he does not want to hear. I’m not talking about an argument, I am stonewalled if I am accused of wrongdoing and “dare” to defend myself. If I ask a question about his intent for our future. If I express ANY disappointment, disagreement with him about anything… He uses it as a form of punishment, and to discourage me from speaking about almost anything meaningful. He has been diagnosed as a narcissist, and he also practices projection (falsely accusing me of things HE does). Right now, he is stonewalling me because I asked him to decide if he wants a life with me or not, as I have had it. His response was to play the victim and complain about me and all the “chances” he’s given me. He just won’t answer me, and this is what he does to try to control me. I am almost ready to walk away and leave him to his own devices. I still love him (or who I thought he could be), but life is passing me by waiting for him to get a clue. Nobody changes unless they want to, and since all he wants to do is blame and control me, he is never going to change. It’s a hard truth to face, but people like him are totally willing to let another spend their whole life jumping through hoops for them. No more.
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Ad
January 20th, 2018 at 6:57 AMClaire, I hope you manage to find a way to free yourself from this man. If he is already diagnosed with NPD,
there is little chance of change in this abusive behaviour. I spent countless nights being abused with every name under the sun, until I was a shell of myself. That was five years ago and I now can’t believe I put up with it for even a day. Find a therapist who specialises in this area to help you regain your perspective on reality. The only way a narcissist can keep hurting you is if you do not love yourself enough to get away from them. Good luck. You deserve happiness X -
bc
September 6th, 2017 at 2:35 PMI have been married for 40 years, the first 25 with horrible emotional abuse because of my husband’s baggage from a sick controlling mother who used stonewalling and guilt. After 25 years he realized he needed help and went to counseling, totally changed and is now a different person. Unfortunately our two sons are now exhibiting the same behaviors directed at us and blaming us for their unhappiness. Children watch, learn, and imitate and these problems cycle from one generation to the next.
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Kate
September 9th, 2017 at 4:18 AMI am so happy that there is a name for this and I’m not alone in going through this. My girlfriend stonewalls me everytime we have even a minor disagreement, or even if she wants to do something and I don’t. She will literally not speak to me for days at a time, she will just stare off into space no matter what I do – even asking basic things like whether she’s hungry or where something is. Nothing I do makes a difference and I hate myself every time. It makes me so full of rage in a way I have never experienced before and also so incredibly sad to feel that she doesn’t care about my feelings or even our relationship to discuss what’s going in. She will just stare into space or play on her phone – absolutely anything to avoid even eye contact with me. Each time this happens I tell myself that this is the last time and if it happens again I will leave, but I never have. Simply because after usually 3-4 days she will come home from work and act as if nothing has happened and I am so happy and relieved to be acknowledged again and so scared of starting the whole thing off again that I don’t say anything to her. Yet she has never apologised for the way she treats me. Each time I apologise for becoming angry or shouting at her during it but she will just say it’s ok and move on… just like that. It makes me so sad that she doesn’t care about my feelings and thinks that this behaviour is acceptable but I’m at a loss of how to fix it. I can’t bring it up with her or she will stonewall me, and I don’t want to leave because I love her and I think she loves me, most of the time. Anyway, it comforts me to see that I’m not alone in this.
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Ang
September 13th, 2017 at 5:12 PMMy sister passed away last week. My family called at 3 pm to say I needed to be there and my husband didn’t tell me till 6pm by that time it was too late for her to recognise me , she died shortly later . He has blanked me ever since when I’ve mentioned it and walked away.
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Ad
January 20th, 2018 at 7:00 AMThat is horrible Ang. I hope you fin the strength to leave this man. This is not the actions of someone who empathises with your experience and has your best interests at heart. There is no way this could be interpreted any other way than wrong.
Sorry for your loss and sending you strength X -
Terry
November 13th, 2017 at 5:02 AMWhile I fully sympathise with all of you ladies who have had this done to you as a tactic and a form of control, I would really like some advice, I’ve upset my partner a fee times and I’ve come to see because of the contempt she’s shown me I’ve treated her like the enemy, I don’t want this and want to move forward, but when we speak she shows contempt and belittles me, I struggle with talking in an argument because I do feel overwhelmed and like I’m going to say the wrong thing, what can I do to change this
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L. Ann
November 18th, 2017 at 5:46 AMHi Terry, that would be tough. I give you much credit for seeing it and admitting why you have. In my opinion people who true stonewallers usually do it without given a reason. It’s auto for them. It leaves the partner completely confused as to what just happened. Also know that contempt, at least in my experience, is one of the latest stage reactions to stonewalling, I really do not care anymore, it’ll never change type of attitude. This followed years of wondering what I did wrong, that I must not do “enough”, that I must be lazy, that I didn’t cook the right dinner, that I’m being a bad wife, that the house isn’t clean enough, that somehow I annoyed him, and the list goes on. It was always . . . my fault. At least that’s how the partner feels because the lack of communication, Because no way would someone’s spouse treat them with silence for no reason, it seriously took years for me to put the pieces of the puzzle together and actually consider it wasn’t me at all. It was an epiphany but that turned to anger wondering what made him think his family deserved to be ignored. It’s so innate that they can’t say why. And they never, ever (or rarely) know that is what they do let alone admit to it. It seems to go much deeper and was a behavior developed well before getting married or into relationships. About your situation, some questions would be, has your wife always talked to you with contempt and belittling, like it’s her “style” of talking to you? Or, is that in response to years of unresolved issues and talk in which she has no patience anymore? I can say after years of total passiveness peppered with anger, and everything was dumped on me , it can make the best of people exhausted and short with the person who is sharing a life with you. I learned to live without conversation so when he does talk to me it’s usually a snide, demanding, bossy demand or comment and now I don’t take it. He really isn’t happy that I no longer respond in a concerned manner. After years of trying to talk lovingly and kindly (got to walk on eggshells) about it just to be stared at straight faced, no comment at all, and back to watching tv) I really could care less about what he thinks. There is contempt. So, reflect upon if that’s her way of talking from the beginning or ask her why she talks to you like that. Truly ask in a loving way. . Really try to help her and let her know how it makes you feel. If you think that you have a tendency to shut down over the years know that you’re much further ahead to acknowledge it. Can’t fix what isn’t acknowledged. You can only ask her and try to make things better. She may appreciate that you are trying to make things better. Hopefully she’ll meet you in the middle. If it’s her way of talking, hopefully she will see how it has affected you. Communication is key. Can’t force someone to be cooperative but you can try to show a difference. Hopefully she’ll take your concern to heart because it sounds like you have learned the damage stonewalling can do. You’re a step ahead. Good luck.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 4:25 PMTerry–get couples therapy–or personal therapy–but don’t let it continue. Contempt is one of the precursors of a breakup. Along with no communication. That’s 2 out of 4. The other 2 indicators are resentment and criticism and defensiveness. Also there are LOADS of good books out there to read up and learn about this, Terry. There is a way out.
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L. Ann
November 16th, 2017 at 5:30 AMIt’s sad people resort to this type of mental abuse. At first, I thought that I did something horrible and that he must’ve really been annoyed or upset with me. It started off not talking for a few days then would go into a couple weeks then maybe a month and then the longest I counted was about seven months of no talk before I decided to change and make myself happy. Now that I no longer acceot it, it’s a constant stonewall. Doesn’t end. Like others, he had good qualities such being a hard worker, taking care of the children’s needs , was helpful and nice but a little shy. Couldn’t put my finger on ‘it’ but never thought, ever, it was this extreme. Bait and switch at its best. Those good qualities seem to to overshadow the stonewalling at the beginning however it started about 1 year after marriage the stonewalling became very prevalent. Currently, any glimpse of a normal conversation has been replaced with hours of watching zombies and the apocalypse on television as well as drinking.
I no longer wait for my husband to start any type of attempted conversation, show any kind of emotion or plan anything fun. Kind of like s robot, or a shell so to speak, of a person. Just blank as blank could be. I decided the best thing I could do is to make sure my children are not exposed to his blankness majority of the time. I focus on making the lives of my children and myself fun, happy and focus on my children’s well-being, try to make life as “normal “as possible. I also make sure to take care of my own self and stay strong for my children. Because, as others have mentioned, this can definitely hurt the self-esteem of the strongest people out there. Suck the life out of the best and strongest. It’s immature, emotionally deficient, cruel, and these type of people are in need of major therapy and should not get in any type of relationship or have shared parenting. Hence why probably most of us stay in while we have young children. My worst nightmare would be three days alone with his blankness peppered with anger and yelling when he does finally open his mouth. Hang in there and focus on you and your children. Remember, when they see you get upset the stonewalling is reinforced and it continues on. Go about your own business If nothing changes redirect your focus of your own life in the present and in the future.
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LETS TALK
December 23rd, 2017 at 4:29 PMLAnne. I don’t know you. But I can feel your pain. This is completely UNACCEPTABLE. My question is:….I wonder.,…do you think this is good for your young children? No matter how you try or think you’re shielding them. You can’t. Kids are smart. And they know. And this will affect their adult lives. Not for the better. I’m sorry if I hurt you–but think about it–please?
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L. Ann
March 12th, 2018 at 5:54 AMHi LETS TALK, you bring up a great point. Sorry it took a while to get back. You didn’t hurt me. Very valid point that you had made. I went through different scenarios and where I live it usually results in shared parenting. As long as I can be around my children 100% of the time, I am convinced that is a better option than court ordered shared or even weekends. I get my children around other family members and coaches who are great role models. I have seen it first hand with other family members and tenants of mine (single moms) who HAD to hand their child over to someone they knew would be neglectful/emotionally abusive. I can minimize it and redirect. Kids are very observant but I don’t trust the courts at all. Just because a child doesn’t have physical bruises doesn’t mean there isn’t abuse. I refuse to get into that back and forth with him. I can’t even get him to respond to text messages appropriately so as long as I have access to my children 100% of the time now, I believe in my heart it is a better situation. Not long after my first post I did tell him his yelling is no longer acceptable and he can leave if he’s not happy. In addition, told him his behavior is no longer tolerated and that I wish for him to go and take out his angries elsewhere. He didn’t leave and shut down again. He then had a panic attack a month later (he thought heart attack) and ended up in the hospital where I believe the doctors had addressed some of his issues. Maybe they got the hint when they asked if we wanted to sit with him in the hospital room while running tests and I said no. He can have alone time like he normally likes. He seems to have had a good spiritual “awakening” so to speak.
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Achie88949
November 17th, 2017 at 6:56 PMHi, we’re not married but have 3 young kids together and been with eachother for 10 plus years now and he is definitely a Stonewaller. It to the point where I can’t handle it anymore. I feel crazy and like have to walk on eggshells around him, it’s so exhausting to live in our home, plus taking care of the kids! I’m a stay at home money and he controls everything else but I just wanted to let everyone know there is hope to leave always! I went down to talk about my options and resources today and made a plan to leave! I haven’t felt to relieved in years and hopefull for the future even if it means being a single mom. Stonewalling has ruined everything in our relationship and all I feel towards him is anger now. Please seek help if you need it!! It no way to live with this emotional abuse!
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L. Ann
November 18th, 2017 at 4:35 AMAchie88989, you’re an inspiration. Please update on your journey. Coincidentally relieved is the exact word in which I feel when my husband travels for his work and I’m at home alone with my kids. I fantasize about not having that negativity around and we get a taste of it even for a week. It is a total sense of relief, like a huge weight lifted, a dark cloud clears. We can eat dinner and laugh, we are just relaxed. I encourage lots of chitchat with my boys. My kids do not miss him much. There is no yelling, abrasiveness, harshness then silence. Energy and clear thinking comes back. Knowing that I have no plans to do endure this too much longer gives me light at the end of the tunnel. I have already told him I can’t live like this long term and the time will come when I’m done. So, he knows how I feel. I encouraged him to talk to a counselor years ago when his blankness started. He wouldn’t despite the conflict he had (has) with me, his parents and co-workers. One co-worker once told me that my husband can hold one of the best grudges ever. This was an elderly man. It’s across the board. Anyway, good luck and have peace and happiness with your three children. Please update your journey.
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lacie
December 11th, 2017 at 1:07 AMI love my husband, but he’s been stonewalling, I reckon, his whole life. Since he left home at 16 to join the navy. He’s so emotionally constipated, I fear what will happen if he ever starts feeling. But there is me to think about. I feel lost.
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Vee
January 11th, 2018 at 6:43 PMI had similar experience with husband of 32 yrs. Refused to go to Counselling over years, Infidelity and shows no remorse. I have now left the marriage after another episode of cheating. Time to move on for happiness.
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Christie
January 18th, 2018 at 7:23 AMIts not my relationship but rather my daughter’s. Married only 7 yrs. Her husband is stonewalling as a result of arguments that he views as nagging. She is changing her behavior but he wont. They are on verge of divorce as he says he hasnt yet decided to stay or leave. They have 2 children ages 6 & 1. He views divorce as doing it FOR the kids not TO them! She is trying to save her marriage. They cant afford couples therapy. What to do?
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Ad
January 20th, 2018 at 7:27 AMTo everyone here, as a former sufferer of narcissistic abusers, I hope you reach out to a really good therapist to help you understand the reasons you accept someone emotionally abusing you until you feel ‘crazy’ and filled with rage and hatred. I see my former self in every one of these comments as I have been in relationships identical to those described over and over again. The final straw came after I briefly dated a true sociopath, who then became a violent stalker. I truly realised then that learning to love myself had become a matter of life and death, as I knew that if I kept on putting myself in these types of relationships, either I would date the ‘wrong’ man who would kill me or I would commit suicide from the pain of stonewalling, emotional abuse and neglect.
I was lucky that I had a brilliant psychologist at the time and she helped me understand that I accepted abuse due to co-dependency problems relating to complex post-traumatic stress disorder following a severely abusive childhood.
Because I was always so open and trusting with my life story, it was always easy for my partners to paint me as ‘crazy,’ or ‘overly emotional’ because of the effects of child abuse. I would always accept this criticism, because I felt so guilty and ashamed about being ‘damaged’ and a ‘burden’ to them. Once someone knows this tactic works, they have got you right where they need to keep you in order to maintain domination.Life alone is difficult, but it is nothing compared to how hard it is being afraid, belittled and tortured by an emotionally abusive person day in and out.
You can break the cycle of abuse you are suffering by leaving your abuser and seeking your own help. Stop trying to fix them and give them what they need and focus on understanding and giving yourself love. Even if you have been living with this emotional torture for 10, 20, 40 years, it is never too late to seek your own fulfilment and joy from life. You can do it.
I cannot recommend bell hook’s book ‘Communion: The Female Search for Love’ enough. This book will change your life.
Good luck to you all. I hope you can give yourself love, joy and power XXX -
Sarah
January 22nd, 2018 at 9:16 PMI have been with my husband 7 years. He is great at stonewalling. So much that it truly has changed every piece of who I am. I have two small children and we had seperated for 7 months last year. I wanted the marriage to work so we moved back in together and sought therapy. He hasn’t worked on his anger or issues… and they are all starting to resurface to the same man he was when I left him. He is so angry all the time now. I get stonewalled because he expects so much more out of me. Although I am broken from years of emotional neglect. I am scared for our kids. If I stay, they learn this as a “healthy” relationship… if I go, I miss out on half time with them as we would have joint custody and it absolutely breaks my heart to miss so much time with them. As I speak I have been stonewalled for 4 days. I tried to speak to
Him three days ago and he had nothing to say. Threw my sons birthday party and got ignored through the whole thing. Not even a thank you for the party. He wonders why I can’t love him anymore, it is so hard to love someone who does this every week. I just have been living my life these past few days, and haven’t said anything to him. I figured I’ll wait til he comes around but then I’ll get blamed for ignoring him. All of this because he doesn’t think I texted him enough at work during the week. I want out of this life. I felt myself again during those 7 months, but my heart breaks having to be away from my kids 😭. Any words of wisdom and strength and kindness would
Be appreciated -
Ruben
January 31st, 2018 at 9:01 AMTo Sarah and all women,
I don’t know why a man would stonewall his wife, this is very unmasculine behaviour. As always, therapists put the blame on men and generalize so much it’s disgusting. People who stonewall have childhood issues they project onto you. This happens also with women. Stonewalling is learnt through a mother or father who did the same whilst they were young.Men in general search for answers and confront issues cause, if we don’t, then this world would never work or be sustained in any way. A lot of women avoid responsibility, that’s why they dynamite an argument and say hurtful things in order to avoid the discussion.
If a man is cold, unaffectionate or harsh towards his wife, its because he is mad at her. Reasons? Many. Mainly that he has wanted her to change in a certain aspect and she fails to do so, unwilling to accept responsibility. This causes the spouse to become passive aggressive, since he cannot divorce his wife without consequence, an women know this very well.
Stonewalling is infantilism. Anyone who stonewalls is a child and an idiot.
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chris
March 3rd, 2018 at 3:32 PMWow. I wish my husband would leave me. I qm the responsible one. He is the aggressive one that I support. I am afraid there are more options than listed.
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chris
March 3rd, 2018 at 3:40 PMYes he is mad at me and yes he wants me to change. He hates me analyzing products and choices… for one thing… and so he screams to stop me from sharing what i learn through homework. However it is not a matter of the woman refusing to take responsibility. He hates me being the responsible one except that it alloows him not to work. Poor thing feels trapped now because he doesnt want to lose this plush life. But it is anything but plush because he is always a screaming freak. Any advice. Pretty hopeless at this point.
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chris
March 3rd, 2018 at 3:59 PMIs he doing this to get attention. Sorry, no question mark 0n the keypad. is he doing it to hurt you. Are you able to enjoy life on days of the silent treatment. For me it is better than getting screamed at and verbally abused but i would have to find a way to go about my day in such a way that he missing out. Fun with children perhaps. If i had a female friend or an old couple in the the neighborhood and children then my husband can be silent. Great. Wow, reading this page is making me think i should give my husband the silent treatment he wants. He doeent want me to speak unless i am spoken to. I offer to discuss and and all complaints he has about me. I offer to follow any and all house rules he would like. He says i am trying to be in control when saying that and refuses to tell me what he wants as if i somehow win by this. I am in my bathroom to write this and he is constantly bugging me to come out but i came in here because he was yelling at me. What gives. Why bite the head off of the person you apparently want to be around. All the curses at me. The only constant in our marriage. I feel bad for everybody on here.
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Ruben
March 5th, 2018 at 12:35 AMHi Chris,
I didnt see your other messages.
Look: he is venting a lot of stuff on to you, he is probably mad at you and you havent done your part to change. Marriage is a HELP for people, not a chain and a torture! When two people finally realize that, by being patient to one another, understanding WITH LOVE, an active love, that being a ladder for each is something really beautiful. But you need your part done, and he his, OR IT WILL NEVER WORK.
And you will be single having regretted not giving your 100€, and you will remarry being the same lazy *** person you were before. And the cycle goes on.
Love is the motor for all change. Accept it and try to love. -
chris
March 9th, 2018 at 6:26 PMDid i say i was fat or is it just what is yelled. Do i watch tv. Nope. Not sure who u r talking to but clearly not based on anything said or true. Buddy, iam gone13 hours a day for work. I do my own thing. He is the needy one. Smh.
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Nicole M
April 7th, 2018 at 9:15 AMHello Sarah, after reading your story, I have a small bit of advice and encouragement for you. Have you thought of counseling just for yourself? It sounds like you are in a great bit of pain and confusion at this point in your life. I know the roller coaster ride of having a husband who is “there” and seemingly in the marriage at one point and “gone” at other times, returning to the stonewalling manipulation and the isolation and depression it causes. It is tempting to hold on for those highs, thinking it will stay that way. I would encourage you though to look at past cycles as they are the best predictor of future behavior. Without change in action there is no change in result. If you focus on building yourself up, learning healthy coping techniques for you and your children, it can do nothing but good for you. Leaving a marriage with children is a difficult choice, but you must assess if your staying is guaranteeing your future unhappiness over the fear of leaving and having a possibility of future happiness. Children do learn things without us even knowing though, more than we realize. I wish the best for you, and you are worth happiness, and respect and a partner who will put effort into positive growth in the relationship also.
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chris
March 3rd, 2018 at 4:12 PMAnybody want to trade husbands. I want a logical thinker who does not scream in response to anything. A provider so i dont have to work, although if we trade you will need to be employeed. Just being silly. Why cant i do amything the typical way. I was too logical and i suppose untrusting to be the dependant one.. I bet he would have avoided me if i didnt have a good job. He admitted that he would have avoided me if i had children. Deep down i do not think he has any interest in me even if he wants to preach the word of God in heaven to me. Poor thing has too much fear and no foundation to be a formal teacher but want to give me sermans when im not prepared and cant keep up. I really feel like he pushes me away from Jesus. Then asks others to pray for me. So wrong.
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Ruben
March 5th, 2018 at 12:28 AMYour comment is unfair.
Women avoid men, all the Got Dam time, for not having a “descent” job. Any normal, self respecting man will avoid a single mother like the Ebola.Yes, your man may have some deep seeded issues from childhood, thus thats why he acts that way, but you, you cannot (in this day and age) want a provider “just cause I’ll feel better”. Tough luck.
This is 2018, we are experiencing climate change (not man made BS PC lies), and we will see a HUGE spike in food prices like you have never, ever seen before. Work while you can and save, stock up.
Dont be a Netflix woman, get busy. Get your mind off of him and do your own thing. -
chris
March 9th, 2018 at 6:33 PMReally dude. It is self disrespecting to be with somebody with children. In that casejust being with him was very stupid and he is right everytime he calls me stupid u truly have no idea what u r saying. I am more than prepared by your standards and make it possible 4 him to play all day. He doesnt work. His son called peoplewho work dumb at the same time he was accepting hand outs.
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Ruben
April 9th, 2018 at 5:07 AMWell, if he plays all day then he doesnt have love for you. You are not meant to be together. Or, he is in a state of deppression and he doesnt want to talk about it.
My ex-wife never wanted to talk about anything, and I mean anything. She just layed low and never, every wanted to be confronted with issues. Its not all men you know. Cut the feminazi BS maa’m.
You need for him to talk to you and openly state why he is acting this way, if he avoids you, then get out of that relationship.
It cost me several years before I split up, and it cost me years of putting up with someone who, in the end, never truly loved me. -
BB
March 19th, 2018 at 10:40 PMMy adult son walks out of the room whenever I talk about something emotional and/or negative. He did this tonight when I talked about how I went through horrible bipolar episodes years ago and how I’m always afraid that another one will come. He does this when I talk about the pain I’m suffering over estranged family members, my brother’s death, health issues, and countless other things.
Is this stonewalling?
It really hurts when he does this, because it makes me feel like he doesn’t care enough to listen. It also trivializes my pain. I’ve also started feeling as if I have to rush to say anything to him out of fear that he’ll take off. -
Kreg
August 26th, 2019 at 2:35 AMIn what context are you bringing these traumatic events in your own life up to your son?
Also, just as important, how old is your son? If he is an adult, does he live with you, and if so, has he ever lived away from home long enough to establish independence? There are a whole lot of questions your post raises, and with the limited info and the vague synopsis of your problem, it has certainly raised some eyebrows too. -
Nicole M.
April 7th, 2018 at 9:03 AMI have read most of the comments here and it is sad that this this is such a prevalent situation for so many of us to be in. I myself am divorcing my husband who is a high functioning alcoholic in denial that also stonewalls me regularly. This is his preferred method of “punishing” me for bringing up any sort of issue or talk about any feelings that he deems to be negative. I have been in counseling two years straight, I have my own business and I go to school full time to get my psychology degree. I have been in abusive relationships in the past, but experiencing this level of stone walling is by the most painful of all my relationships. To be stonewalled makes one feel invisible. When I am stonewalled, especially after I use every tool I have learned about healthy communication, it leaves me feeling hollow. As if I am not even good enough for a response. Obviously I know this is not true, but that is how it feels. I sympathize with every single person who has endured this passive aggressive abuse. In my experience, I don’t think that people who have learned to cope and control others with this tactic ever really change. One has to be willing to admit they are in error before being open to learning new skills and someone who uses stonewalling generally is very immature as far as communication skills and also very set in their ways after years of using a technique that allows them to so greatly control others, while at the same time, “keeping their hands clean” by not using overt forms of control or abuse. It is an insidious form of abuse and from the outsiders point of view, is rarely ever seen for what it is. The one time that a person reacts out of fear, hurt, frustration to the stonewalling is what outsiders see, and the perpetrator capitalizes on this and uses it as the “reason” their victim is “crazy”, they are justified, or in my husband’s case he called me “reactionary” because he knew it was my hot button. After all the time I’d spend learning, going to counseling, even before my current two years of counseling, he knew for a fact that I worked very hard at becoming a skilled and healthy individual and communicator, so that word stung the most. But we are all human, and we do have limits, that is different from a prevalent and destructive dysfunctional behavior pattern that is employed without any effort to stop it or learn something more functional. I would suggest to anyone who experiences this with someone new in their lives to leave. Value yourself and trust that this is a behavior more likely to never change than many other unhealthy coping efforts out there. To those that are in the situation over the long haul, and have come to recognize this pattern, I’d suggest counseling, if not for couples at least for yourself, to gain knowledge, and to be able to recognize your worth so that if your partner shows they are not going to change this behavior, you will have the coping skills and foundation to be able to say no and walk away, no matter how long the relationship has gone on. Each day is a new day, no matter how many are behind us, that day is still full of new possibilities, and new hope. No one can make someone who uses this form of abuse stop, but everyone can stop accepting it. Take back your power. Don’t let them see their behavior bothers you, even if it does. They want that reaction, it reinforces the behavior. Be the bigger person, work on getting yourself healthy and strong, and find people who can help you focus on something more positive. It seems huge, their rejecting behavior, but in essence, it is a small effort in the hands of a dysfunction individual to control you, no one has the right to control you. I wish everyone here the best, to brighter days my friends.
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Antonio C O.
May 14th, 2019 at 12:31 PMlets make a sight for non stone wallers hook ups.
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L. Ann
April 9th, 2018 at 7:08 AMHi Nicole, you said something that hit it right on the nail, “As if I am not even good enough for a response. Obviously I know this is not true, but that is how it feels.” I had always worked on making sure I communicated properly with people, listened to people, knew when to offer advice, when to just listen, etc. I had many healthy friendships/relationships throughout my life and knew it wasn’t me but after time when you can’t have a normal conversation, no back and forth talk about even the weather or where to go to eat, pretty much nothing, just staring and grunting or maybe a yes or no, it really makes you feel like you’re so undeserving of a conversation for something you have no idea what but you feel like you must have done something. That’s the twisted part because these people usually don’t start off this way or at least it comes across as shy. I found myself constantly trying to start a conversation to get something out of him. Anything.
After time and attempts at trying to talk to my husband if he’s upset or if I did something, maybe not happy in the marriage, and I’m looked at and responded to in a “you’re crazy for thinking that” I actually entertained the thought that maybe it’s not me and could be him. That’s when things changed. The confusion was still there but I started to see clearly. My focus is my happiness. I am happier, I look healthier, I feel better and do what I want without worrying about his opinion (the only time he talked, to complain). I became so much wiser, stronger and have better faith in myself. I too wish brighter days for others on this site. Keep your head up, surround yourself with positive people, focus on your happiness and the happiness of others in the family (kids) until the next step in life needs to be taken but don’t let anyone steal your happiness. -
Pastor’s Wife
April 29th, 2018 at 12:11 PMThis has been the most comforting article I have ever layed eyes on. My husband is a Pastor. He works 9-5 as a director and he runs a church. Anything that has to do with church or work…. he is there front and center. When I have a complaint or an issue with him, he RUNS! He runs out the door. Almost like he punishes me for even having the audacity to try and work out our marriage problems. He will leave and stay at the church, sometimes for days. Then come back and pretend that nothing was ever wrong.
I have been so desperate for him to just come home, I would pretend with him. But it always happened again, the same issues. I would try and talk to him, first calm then it would go to tears then I’m grabbing his arm while he is running out the door and I begging him not to run! It has been making me looney toon!
He would even use bible scripture to manipulate his stonewalling. The church elders would be looking at me like I run my husband off and am full of hell fire!
Now before he gets a chance to run I tell him to get out (even though I don’t want him to go). It gives me a sense of security in my own mind. It became a vicious cycle.I read him this article and he was shocked. He has agreed to Counseling, and I need therapy after dealing with this, but I do see a light at the end of the tunnel!
Thank you
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Susan
June 24th, 2018 at 10:20 AMI stumbled across this while looking for answers to my not so good relationship I have with my husband. I have read many articles and knew that he is passive aggressive, will do anything to avoid an uncomfortable conversation and sometimes he gaslights me. But this….stonewalling….this is what he’s been doing to me for many years. We went through couples counseling this Spring, with a counselor who uses the Gottman technique. The problem is he sweet talks everyone who he wants to impress, and the counselor couldn’t see that. Everyone loves him, such a nice guy, and no one suspects or would believe that he can be so mean to me. We have been married for 44 years and have 6 children and 13 grandchildren. We are a very close family, despite the fact that all in the family feel he’s the nicest person ever and tell me I’m the one who needs to change. This is because he never says or does anything in front of them and doesn’t treat them like he treats me. I tell them some things he’s done or said to me but they feel I must deserve it “because he’s so nice”. I find it I don’t say a word, never disagree with what he says or does we get along great, but as soon as I disagree, politely, with him he gets angry and says horrible words to me. He calls me names, last night said I was a “sick person”. This was after I disagreed with him about a memory we both remembered differently. Five minutes later he said he said “this is a sick conversation”. I told him, no I remember exactly what you said and he finally admitted it, although a few minutes later he tried to say he didn’t say it again. He lies to me often, he won’t keep me informed of our financial situation (he’s self employed), he won’t tell me how much money he has, he doesn’t smile at me, only touches me rarely, the only intimacy I get is sometimes a peck on my mouth when we go to bed. He sleeps in a separate bedroom, that started about 8 years ago. For the first couple of years I begged him to come back then after a while I found it was peaceful having my own bedroom. But the maddening part is he insists it was me who wanted separate bedrooms. If I tell him how I remember it he gets angry and calls me names. I know he has a very hard time expressing any kind of emotion. I knew his parents well and his mother was exactly the same way. She would never talk to me about anything other than the weather. She’d get up and leave the room. I feel we can’t get a divorce. Our family would fall apart. We are all so close, that would change everything. I also feel that I’m in a hard spot. Seems I have to stay in this loveless marriage. I am 72 years old but I can’t believe I’ll go the rest of my life never receiving love or caring. We will get along well for weeks then one conversation sets off a world of hurt on my part. I have no idea how he feels or how this affects him as he doesn’t talk. I feel hopeless.
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Susan
July 13th, 2018 at 3:01 PMI received an email saying there was a new comment on this blog. I can’t figure out how to respond to “Jackie” who wrote a couple of days ago. But, Jackie, if you read this, my advice to you is you might want to get out of your marriage. You have been married only a little over a year and are already being stonewalled. I must say though that my husband was worse when we were first married. He would not speak to me for days if I said something that sounded emotional to him. He actually moves on much more quickly now, and will speak to me only minutes after we had a discussion he didn’t like. But a different subject, one that did not make him feel feelings. But the bad news is we don’t have any kind of relationship that is close and caring. It is phoney, just like he likes his conversations to be. But as I said, it’s too late for me. I have been married for almost 45 years and I don’t have a way to support myself alone. I can manage, life is quieter now that I have learned when to talk and what subjects are accepted. You are young, you can start over, and maybe find a man who is in touch with his feelings and is not afraid of his feminine side. Good luck to you!
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Obscurityknocks
September 29th, 2019 at 1:59 PMHello Susan, I think its very hard to live this life, the longer we live with this, the harder it gets to leave or think you deserve better. So you end up doing mind numbing stuff anything so you don’t have to think. But I say it again. Couples therapy is a mistake if you’re with a covert abuser. The therapist will be taken in by him and it will be like two against one. I’ve been there, its awful. They are very convincing actors, oscar winning. Think about it, if we’re still fooled after all these years, when he’s hoovering, but only so he can devalue and discard. You just want it to be right, nobody wants to think they’ve wasted years if their lives. Its something I’ve had to come to terms with too. I don’t know about men who only stonewall for escape. I’m talking about the ones who are abusers and stonewalling is just a part of of it. The other tactics can be worse. It’s incredibly painful to think that maybe this person has never loved you at all. Are they even capable of love? But the fact still remains that we become less and less while their life either doesn’t change at all or it gets better. Seemingly at our expense. Almost vampire like. The other thing I have noted with my partner is that he doesn’t abuse alone, he has a mother and a brother who told me I just needed to change my attitude,even when I was covered in bruises when our son was small. He has now manipulated our son to think it’s my fault. It’s almost impossible to leave in that situation as I don’t want to lose my son. I can’t tell you how much I hate my partner now I know for sure what it’s been all these years and what he’s still doing. You’d think he’d be happy I want to leave as I’m so worthless to him. But they put a lot of hard work into making us worthless.
And no, I’m not saying that women are always right and men are always wrong. To the guy who left the comment about being a stone Waller. But you just contradicted yourself by adding a blatantly misogynist comment at the end of your post. The ones who do that while making it out that women are as bad if not worse than men. They deluded about themselves. My partner has abused me in every way possible for years, yet he still likes to mention regularly that women abuse too. I’m sure they do but I don’t see men in the same position, penniless, reclusive, hypervigilant, living in fear. No I don’t see it, they hide it well if that’s the case. The only men I’ve seen in that position are the ones who are abused by their Male partners.
They do this because they feel justified and entitled to do it. Simple as that. -
Psimon
September 30th, 2019 at 7:56 AMObscurityknocks:
” I don’t see men in the same position, penniless, reclusive, hypervigilant, living in fear. No I don’t see it, they hide it well if that’s the case. The only men I’ve seen in that position are the ones who are abused by their Male partners. They do this because they feel justified and entitled to do it. Simple as that.”
NO. It’s not “Simple as that.” and frankly, how dare you make that assertion. There ARE men that get left penniless, emotionally scarred and suffer PTSD (hyper-vigilance being one of the symptoms), and absolutely do live in fear (again, PTSD). Picture a stay-at-home dad in a situation where the man and woman were never legally married. Mom has a more lucrative job, so it makes sense that Dad stays home with the kid as long as they can afford to do so. Mom gets stressed out at her government job. The HSA is a tough place to work. Mom’s starting to drink more and resents Dad. Mom starts to really flip out and start choking Dad, and breaking things. When he threatens to leave, she reminds him who she works for. Eventually he leaves anyway, and logs in to his social media accounts only to find he’s been absolutely railroaded. She’s turned the story on it’s head. His bank account has been locked down. Your mutual friends are messaging you asking you if what she’s saying is true. Some are already swearing at you, some have unfriended you, even your parents are “concerned”. She texts you and reminds you that the car you’re driving is also in her name and if you don’t come back, she’s calling to report it stolen. Not in so many words. It’s worded in such a way that it fits her narrative. She’s smart.And you know…. there are people reading this that will have a knee jerk reaction and think either: “Bulls***.”, or, “Wow, I wonder what he did to deserve that?!”, or even “Good! About time a woman took control!”. It did happen to me. I’ve changed a few of the details because it was 10 years ago that this all ended. Ultimately, *she* ended the relationship after cheating on me multiple times and gaslighting me over some of the most ridiculous things (for instance, insisting I had not seen her jump into a swimming pool with her clothes on, when others had mentioned it on social media, and I was literally watching her bra hang over the bathtub as it dripped dry).
She’s manipulated every aspect of my life. For a time when she left, I did not have any money at all. It was all hers. Because there was no marriage, there was no spousal support of course, and because it’s the state I live in and I am a man, she immediately went to the court house and had me on the hook for child support.
I was completely under her thumb, even though we weren’t together.
“simple as that”. -
Deborah
August 11th, 2018 at 11:02 AMThis is just like my husband of 25 years. It makes you hate them. I can’t have any conversation at all with my husband. He never looks at me when I talk to him and he frequently just walks out of the room. He considers everything I say as political and he hates it. It is not the love that I had worked for when I first got married to him. He was into porn for a long time so I think it changed him. He has never liked sex with me while before I married him, I was enjoying a great sex life. My marriage has been sexless for many years. It all came down to I was supposed to take care of him and then it was over. He said that I would be alright. I am 65 and miserable. I’m hoping to get a job and may change some things. This marriage has never had the love in it that the first marriage had even after finding out my first husband was a jerk. I knew that he loved me.
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Obscurityknocks
December 29th, 2018 at 4:33 PMSusan, it’s covert abuse, textbook abuse. A decent counsellor would ask to see you both separately, would know how manipulative these people can be, I think the charming public face is one of the worst aspects of it, because people just don’t believe you even when you do pluck up the courage to tell somebody. Being with them in public when they’re playing the perfect man is soul destroying, you just want to scream “ it’s not like this, it’s a lie, he’s a monster!” There is a book called how he gets into her head by Don Henessey and why does he do that by Lundy Bancroft. If you haven’t read them, please think about taking a look. This isn’t your fault, it’s his, he chooses this.
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Susan
February 20th, 2019 at 10:29 AMObscurityknocks, I just saw your post from December. Thank you for your advice. We did go to a counselor just about a year ago. He asked to speak to us separately once, for a few minutes each. I don’t know what he and my husband talked about, but I asked my husband later if he told the counselor about slamming me against a wall because he didn’t want to talk. He said yes, he told him, but it was never discussed during any of our sessions. So either my husband lied to me, and he does that often, or the counselor feels that men are allowed this if their wife gets too close to the truth. My husband has every trait of a passive aggressive person, but he won’t admit any of it. I feel this is a safety persona he has developed since he was a child, as a way to handle things that he is not comfortable with and I worry that he could do most anything to avoid ever being honest with me about his feelings. My son (school psychologist) gave me a copy of Brene Brown’s book, Daring Greatly, several years ago and said I might understand Dad better. I love this book, the main topic is vulnerability and how so many can’t allow themselves to be vulnerable. I know all the issues my husband appears to have but I have no idea how to deal with them. I re-read my post, telling how our marriage had improved last summer and what I did to help that happen. So I reminded myself what I need to do. But it’s not fair! Why do I have to pussyfoot around him, not upset him, to make him feel he can be with me? I guess I have not choice, I simply can’t support myself financially and now I’m 73, getting older all the time. I sat yesterday and tried to figure out how we could split up, but no matter what I thought of it came back to it would be easiest to continue living the way I live. Basically I’m on my own. He works long hours, self employed, so he can work all he wants. I retired 2.5 years ago, and sit home alone most days. I do some fulfilling volunteer work and have the grandkids some, but it’s mostly a pretty empty life. I hate thinking this is all there will be for the rest of my days, but I don’t see what I can do to change it. I don’t have enough money to travel as much as I’d like and don’t really want to travel much alone. Our youngest lives on Kauai, I have a ticket to go there in May. Hubby couldn’t make a decision, but hopefully he will join me for the last part since he can’t go for 2.5 weeks like I can. But, that’s where he threw me against a wall last time we went so maybe I’d have a better time by myself. I have notes about that trip, how he was goading me into a fight, just harassing me to fight with him, because he has no idea how to simply communicate. Everythings a fight to him and all my fault of course. I looked up the two books you recommend. Thank you.
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Antonio C O.
May 14th, 2019 at 12:41 PMYou waited too long. I am handicapt and getting worst and her stonewalling getting worst. Its hard to find out what is going on. I finally had enought and getting people envolved . Due to the 3 children experiencing this. I say if she can treat a guy at work with a ‘goodmorning’ ext. Then i have the same respect due to me staying at home doing everything. while the stone waller sleeps confortable. Tell your children . Get them involved. my 4 year old is telling her not to treat her daddy bad. But the demon mother smiles sideways and continues.
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Susan
August 13th, 2018 at 10:54 AMI’ve read the latest additions to this blog and want to say how much my marriage has improved lately. It was pretty much at the bottom, but I really don’t have a way to leave and be able to support myself as I’m a 72 year old retiree with a small retirement. I’m wondering now if low self esteem has much to do with men who stonewall. Because as soon as I started being positive, not complain and try to support him whenever I could he changed. It didn’t happen overnight but in the last couple of months. We had a big family reunion in July, four of our grown children came with their families. We had a total of 10 adults and 10 children, we went camping twice and spent two weeks together, a week at our house, then camping. I was determined that we would be happy grandparents when they were here. It’s no fun pretending all the time so I really just was truly happy. A choice I made. My husband responded very positively. It was like all he wanted was for me to quit nagging him about when our house will be completed (we’ve lived in an uncompleted house he’s building us, for two years), and to be happy about where we are right now. I am not the type of person to coddle another person so they’ll be happy but this is working. We are happy, content and our days together are pleasant. Still not sleeping together, and no sex, but more cuddling and hugging. It is worth it to me to put out more than I’m receiving for the peace in our lives. I hope we can keep this up, although I am aware that life has it’s ups and downs. It’s a daily struggle but I’m not giving up after 44 years.
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Young Jerk
September 4th, 2018 at 3:10 AMI’m with my best friend of nearly 8 years. I mean that. I think some people say that in an obligatory way, but we’ve been through a lot of sh** together. We’ve always been there for each other in the most healing of ways. Personal stuff. Dark stuff, at times. We’ve been each others confidant through thick and thin, seen each other at our most vulnerable, encouraged each other, spent long hours deep into the night exploring interests and talking about out mutual interests, which, to be honest, are pretty strange topics to most people. When I realized I Loved her, it was a lightning bolt. We transitioned over the next several months from best friends to just *knowing* we want to be with each other. I mean, it’s beautiful. We have some issues though. Bad past relationships. And I mean abusive. we both come from a history of childhood abuse, absentee parents, and a whole lot of anxiety about everything. We’re the overthinking types.
BUT our mistrust and anxiety about being in a relationship at all… it’s like we started projecting things onto each other. One of us would do something to remind of us a terrifying or scarring experience with an ex and BAM. Suddenly we’re treating the other as if they WERE that person. We scream, we say mean things and have this awful tendency to just……ugh….it’s like she immediately revokes every sweet thing she has said, and all the good things she’s said about me are BS. She disappears until 3am, or locks herself into her car until I beg her to come in. Why? Because she’s mad, and I have retorted with a bunch of immature namecalling, screaming and doing everything but getting my point across or making the situation better. Then the next day or two we reassure each other of our Love and friendship and things are awesome again.But reading this caused a realization. Because we’re non-confrontational and don’t want to rock the awesomeness of when things are good? We both totally stonewall. “No, everything is great! Love you!”. We’re both empathic and know when the other is full of it. But, we are trusting and give the other the benefit of the doubt because, hey sometimes a bad feeling is just that. Or it’s one’s own anxiety.
I don’t want to be one of these guys that you’ve all expressed so much frustration, or – dare I say – even hate at times for in 10 years.
This is not done out of malice, but because we’re both scared of causing each other pain. meanwhile we sit there and build up steam and then BOOOOM. Need a release valve. -
Chris
June 5th, 2019 at 10:49 AMMy wife does this all the time. It is so frustrating. I have gotten to a point where I try to not bring up anything that might trigger her to stonewall me, but I feel it is unfair to me so I do speak; but it usually ends with her retreating. Some how I am always the issue and when I can admit my areas of fault, I try and discuss it and she’ll say you shouldn’t have made mistakes. When she falls short, I kindly express how I didn’t like something and she go days with out talking. Recently after not talking to me for 16 hours she says “did you learn your lesson.” I felt I had to agree. Then she became pregnant and it got even worse, I understand hormones and stuff; but she had been partaking in this behavior so now it’s worse.
I love her, ha full disclaimer, but good lord this is frustrating.Recently her friend asked to come stay with us for a few days which I agreed, then she told my wife a male friend of hers will be coming with her. I said I don’t mind, but who is the guy.. not someone my wife’s “best friend” has talked about ever? So he is a stranger coming into our home. I just asked for her to ask who he is to her and what’s there relationship so I can have an idea of who is coming over. My wife got angry and cut me off, discredited my request and said I’ll get a hotel and stay with them and hasn’t talked with me for 24 hours. Then blocked me on everything.
Something so small to this. It’s ridiculous. Now as a man I feel uncomfortable talking to anyone about it and since she’s pregnant my statements could be voided. So I am venting on this post lol.
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Nicole
June 5th, 2019 at 4:52 PMUnfortunately, sometimes we love people who are unable or unwilling to love us back as we deserve. I can’t speak for your situation, but for my own, I had to decide that I deserved more than to walk on eggshells and more than only being able to be part of myself, not the fully expressive and feeling person that I am. I do hope for your sake, you know you should always speak your truth, no matter what comes, because anything else, is not the full truth and will never lead to your happiness or to hers ultimately.
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Kreg
August 26th, 2019 at 3:06 AMI’m going to be blunt. This situation with is sketchy at best. You’re being abused. That’s all there is to it. You have every right to casually vet a stranger coming in to your house to stay and do as they please. Your *pregnant* wife should be grateful you are looking out for her safety as well as that of your unborn.
Her response to you asking “So tell me about this guy your friend is bringing over to stay the night. Have you met him, is he cool?” Was to…. tell you to eff yourself, and go shack up with her friend and this stranger in a motel.
Is your wife consistently putting herself at risk by being so impulsive in her search for fun? Does she go spend a lot of money for no good reason, or blow it on drugs/alcohol all in one night no matter how much money she has to her name when she gets that itch?Just sounds kinda like possible manic behavior…if I’m to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Truth is, J think she is stepping all over you. She’s done in the emotional sense, if she was ever trult connected.
I hoI’m curious to know this resolved.
I hope I’m wrong about her being a cheating, lying, junkie that might be either bipolar or afflicted with a personality disorder. -
Joan
June 5th, 2019 at 1:55 PMUgh, what an awful situation! You should not have to put up with that. Can you get to a counselor, either with or without her? I can imagine she will only get worse once the baby is born!
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Deborah
July 27th, 2019 at 7:09 AMBoyfriend of 3.5 years used this with me all the time. At the three years mark I told him we should just end it because we were no more closer, no more intimate, than the day we met. We weren’t even friends, because friends talk. We don’t. Two weeks later he asked me to come back. Then, he fell into it again after a couple of more months. He’s says he doesn’t way to argue. I don’t either. I want to communicate to iron out issues and create a healthy relationship because I love him. He still doesn’t get it. After 3.5 weeks of saying he needed time and we’d talk later, I lost it. I just said “I’m done.” and left. I did this once before and came back after four months. This time I want to make it permanent because when he does this it totally erodes my self-esteem and I become depressed, anxious and even start having thoughts that life is not worth it. I cannot afford to go back. So many men do this, and they can do it for weeks and months. I’ve know women who do this also, but they never let it go beyond a day or two, just to make a point. I never do this. My masters depress is in Interpersonal and Intrapersonal communication, so I know what the research says about this and it’s effect of relationships and on the partner. It is emotional abuse. I get to feeling that he has absolutely no love or caring feelings for me or he would not do this. When I read the post on her from the man who admitted he stonewalled his girlfriend until she broke up with him, but then turned the blame and fury upon her for dating and being intimate with other men – after she had broken up with him for stonewalling her, I realized that men have been conditioned not to love or care. I think young men need to take “intimacy 101: in high school and then again if they go to college. No one is teaching them how to be in a healthy relationship with their significant others and their children. My ex always said that he was like John Wayne and I needed to accept that. John Wayne’s characters were loners and couldn’t keep a woman. What more is there to be said? Thank you John Wayne. You’ve ruined relationships for at least two, maybe three generations now. And you were such an ass. Why men would want to be like his characters is beyond me, but I’m getting off topic. Got to go chant “I will not go back. I will not go back. I am filled with pain, and not love. I will not go back.” Thank God vibrators have come a long way in the past 20 years. Thank you for the opportunity to rant. May you all find peace.
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Andrew
July 27th, 2019 at 11:29 PMWow this is cool I only just came across this website and learned there is a name for this behaviour. Very educational considering I just found out I am a Stonewaller or I have at least done exactly this once in the past before but after destroying the relationship i never did it again to my next partner so i think some men can stop it if only they knew the outcome it will create. I got to a point when at 7 years into an awesome relationship, i say that because we never once had a fight or hung up the phone or got jealous it was 100% functional and always had constant spark and was the envy of most of my girlfriends friends, they would say to her that they would kill to have what she had which was like a constant honeymoon period that never stopped and while everyone around us over the years had troubles we never even had our first fight yet. But at year 7 after an abortion immediately 2 days after that she became cold and said she never wanted sex ever again. I was supportive us much as any man could be for as long as i could until about 5 months in I felt totally rejected and moved into the spare room as I wanted to remove my self from the rejection. I went from having a hot girl that was totally always all over me every day for years to absolutely nothing. It didn’t mater how i felt to her it was like she didn’t care and all i got was excuses. So now i know the name of it i began to stonewall her. Id deliberately give her no love no spark or no attention, as a guy in his late 20s sex was important to me but she took that away so i decided to remove all spark and affection and create the same scenario straight back at her but i did it covertly and seen it as retribution. I did it and it worked instead of me always going to her getting knocked back i created so much space that she eventually tried and started coming to me, i forced her to initiate. Things were ok for a while and id sleep in the same room again but then i got nothing, i got so over trying to initiate so id move out of the room again and use rejection as a weapon and it was like she was so stupid she didn’t know why i was doing it. I never went to her family’s house id just make an excuse any excuse same kind of excuse she would make for not putting out one after the other. so I cut off all contact with her family, no Sunday roasts no Christmas lunch id just completely ignore her wants and needs and have as much care about hers as she would mine and as many excuses as she did Id create too, Id call this compulsive excuse making . It became tit for tat with me. i got so over doing it i think it actually did more damage to me than to her as it was me who had the problem and she didnt know why i was doing it. I began to become jealous towards the end as she was stunning and everywhere she went she had guys hitting on her everyone but me, it became apparent to her that the only spark she would get was outside the relationship, i did a lot of this to myself but she in my own head made me. Eventually she walked out on me that was when i pushed her to far, i tried desperately to resolve it and then chased her for months but then i began once again to resent that i was the only one willing to stay committed to fix it so i ignored and went no contact or stonewalled her as i was so destroyed from all the rejection. she sent me messages every week or two for months once i was done but now its 6 years later after we broke up and I blocked her after 6 months of her trying to make contact. I did this and gave her no closure i just disappeared off the face of the earth simply because i wanted her to feel the same way she made me feel which was totally worthless and rejected and abandoned. Sadly I’m sure i hurt her and she never understood exactly why to this day why i did the things i did she just thought that was the way i was some kind of abusive person or ass-hole but i think we all as people do things through justification or do things to hurt the people we love because we can become bitter. Iv’e noticed a lot of woman on here who seem to have no clue as to why their relationship is the way it is which was the same as my ex, but maybe my experience can shed some light as to how a Stonewaller thinks or feels. There is a chance your Man knows exactly what, why, when, where and how he is doing what he is doing same as i did and has it totally justified in his own head but he just acts like it is the way it is as if he doesn’t know why its all happening. I did it just to piss her off because i was holding onto rejection and resentment and abandonment so id make her taste her own medicine. so who needed to change me or her. but hang on a minute a woman is never wrong is she its always the man right. Most men know they wont win arguing with a woman, most woman somehow think they are always right, so we as men get back at them because they wont change and we think so why should we, the problem is: You cant fix it unless you can identify what is the root cause. this is when you need a third party like a psychologist to get to the root cause. Anyway good luck.
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Cally
August 26th, 2019 at 12:35 PMIT just was not the right thing to do. We were not denying him the right to time off we were just trying to direct it for the welfare of everyone. HE said if I wanted a vacation in mid-winter to tell him who he would have to kill to get one where I was begging him to take, I said if nothing else we could drive to Vegas, The Gulf Coast, Texas or Florida or even stay home and just let him rest. HE said so he could shovel snow, Take me to the stores for shopping trips and he would freeze his tail off or get called into work for someone’s runny nose or the poor babies would be too afraid to drive in an inch of snow and call off. HE shoved me on a bus and told me he was filing for a divorce. Handed me an Envelope with the filing a letter to my mother that he was returning me in the same condition received just even crazier He did not need a bipolar wife who was not a wife but the community darling, for making him be a slave, that letter had my mother very upset the next two years and she would not assume the state assigned Guardianship on me. His father acquired a Judicial order preventing him from taking time off without the court’s permission. I was returned to him after the court threw out his petition two years later. That kept the resentment growing when the court would not let him decide for himself by seniority when he was taking off until December 23rd, 1999. When he told the court and his father to go to hell he was going to Bavaria with me over the MillennialsHe was not working another holiday down week as his father and the Judge wanted. I had begged the last three months to please just for once try it our way let everyone have their plans and do something different with the options he had.
HE demanded when four deputies arrived to take him into custody and make him work either the signed judicial order for his jailing as well as the charges applied as provided by the State and National Constitutions as well as the signature of the presiding authority. Or His Miranda Rights, The Warrant for his Arrest and the same signature. When neither was presented he went into combat mode knocking two deputies out with roundhouse kicks to their head using his military training Two very frightened deputies finally drew their tasers and put him to his knees and the Names he called us were filthy, QAgain we returned with hopes of getting him to take exchange time off for the holidays I even arranged a B and B, 4 Hours away to replace the holidays Talk to him about taking four weeks off later that spring for vacation. Just don’t continue his war with us over his rights We were so tired of hearing about his seniority rights and the way we abused him over not allowing them.
We came home to the Higher society people in the community being laid out in lavender about the way he was made to work the Holidays out of Jail for not breaking the first law. We had heard he was flattening people for showing him pictures of what they had seen over their holidays trying to be nice to him about having to work the fifteenth year without a day off. HE tossed one-man showing him shots of the Sydney Australia Celebrations he had gone to off his job followed by the shower of photographs. Our friend the Judge was Yanked off his bench in Cuffs, We arrived in the worst greeting coming home with a 1300 dollar US Clock we had programmed with everything seen In Munich in changing Scenes on his 45th bIrthday the 5th of January. I was given my Christmas gift with a note that said my gift was the sum total of my worth as a wife. He had filled it with dog Sh**, It had to be put in a dumpster as I cried we were just trying to get things right for everyone and he had just turned our return into another lousy time because he just would not try anything we wanted. HE would not open that clock saying he was not letting us rub his nose into being a slave. HE looked cat his Mother, father and his brothers and sister who went. Told us all that the rest of your gift was at his father’s. IT was horrible pulling into the sheriff trying to clear a crowd.
He’s taking his coat and shirts off, handing his father a bullwhip and telling him don’t stop until he was dead this time and declaring that someone in the crowd needed to tie him to the wagon wheel set up in his father’s yard so daddy could whip his uppity slave son. It made everyone sick at his opinion of us. When Nobody stepped up he said he forgot, We were nothing but true cowards, we needed to hide our faces under pointy cowls and sheets that said we were the lords chosen with the right to decide any one’s life and hang them if they did not meet our standards of pure belief he said be at his job at 4 am with the rope he threw at us that was already tied in a hangman’s noose, We could eave him hanging off a parking lot light as a warning about obedience to our moralsV we did see him the next morning to talk to him about just what he exected with so many needs involved in the community., Couldn’t he just try to be nice about things and he’s not getting his way just once without insults. if he did not like our solutions try and find solutions of his own that did no harm. he said the contract was the solution he would accept, he did not care that the rest of the world wanted it their way, he was not obligated to supply it, that was the point that could not be agreed to. We felt he was. regardless of a union contract.
Nine years later and over 30 men hurt in trying to get his cooperation about midwinter, job bids that were felt to go to higher society Even shotguns had been yanked out of a man’s hand trying to force him through his workmate in 2008 and he brained a friend with the butt of his own weapon, then chambered av round and drew down on his father and two others. We were again Pleading with him to just use personal time to replace the holidays Take his vacation don’t be a jerk and push people around about shifts and Jobs when nobody else wanted one in Midwinter. There had to be a way to work for even what he wanted and not leave bleeding broken bodies when he stepped on their wants. In 2009 he backed us into a corner over the Orient express and Far younger seniority who wanted to take his 4-month pregnant bride on a honeymoon We canceled our double berth converting mine to a single Had his refund returned and his father to be fair kicked in the 10 percent fee It was going to be the last attempt to stop the hate that had built over no Off time of 29 years. I was Making a five-week Vacation In a vacation Rental on St Croix Bought the flight for the two off us on the second of January, and I was holding the refund check to return to him at his work gate the next Christmas, The Plan was just seven months away for nearly the first third of the year off after 35 years Seniority. We waited to tell him in an airport conference room why he was not getting to go on the express and was expected to go back to work. He tried to murder His father and me over the time he should have had that summer. We ended up Jailed with our return for acting as a false agent, The Younger man was terminated with a daughter on the way. He has not seen her since she was six months old My husband By The End of October had become so depressed never finding a reason to be happy MRSA entered his Spine taking the nerve impulse in his legs. When HE came home IN 2013 I was just so lonely and tired of hearing he had rights that were never seen, I was seeing an old BF when he was in town< When my husband came home using a heavy oak cane he was the first casualty with his skull shattered and nearly every bone above his waist broken by my husband. The Two weeks Following were spent in the regional mental health for him Until The 5th Of February when I was just going to dinner with his father, mother and his fathers best friend, and he's again angry right in front of me making me feel like I was looking into the eyes of a grizzly. trying to offer a way out of that pain he was thinking of causing me over his not going to accept any solution but his and do exactly as he decided was going to happen I ended up hurt badly Trying to understand why he would just never accept any solution but his as I cried about being forced into the sex I had denied for decades when there had been offers to have it in terms of peace since 1987 26 years of trying and he comes home and threatens if I tried to stop him he would kill me. I was never so ashamed when his mother sat beside me and told me he had just about killed his fathers best friend for trying to come in our home without my husband's permission and he was telling his father that he would die if he tried to dictate his life anymore. He would break his neck if he did not stay out of my husband's way. what would other people have done in our position, Just let my husband do as he wanted or tried to find solutions everyone could live with.
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JANE MAAC
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:44 PMYour comment is helpful, I am stonewaller as well, if its hard on my partner’s perspective its even harder on me. I think this trait began when i was a child, like 7 years old maybe, There was an instance where i want to participate in Elementary Girls Scout Outing but my parents wont let me because of financial issues, but i cannot accept it , i locked myself in the room and cried and keep on asking myself lots of “why’s”. Then as i grew older, i have fear of rejection, i dont want to be in a situation where i will be rejected and feel bad, i will not involve myself in the situation if i know i will get blame or be let down, even its applying for work, talking with someone or expressing my feelings. If people let me down, i shutdown myself i wont talk to anyone until i calm myself down, i got used to comforting myself and that results to stonewalling my partner every time i am pissed off. This Stonewalling thing is not only painful on the victim’s perspective , it is also very painful to the person who has it, everytime i get frustrated with my partner’s action or lack of action on important things, i shutdown myself, i wouldnt talk to him and discuss why am quiet, i will lock myself in the room and cry, i would like to scream and in my head i am blaming myself for not voicing out my feelings. Its not fair when people blame us for this trait, this is involuntary and i still dont know how to change it. Now i think my relationship is at risk because this shutting down thing is ruining how i love my partner, there are things left unsaid for months because i wont discuss things to my partner and then i began to let go of the things that pisses me off that leads to relationship conflict.
i wish i dont have this trait, i really wish because this is causing emotional depression and trauma. it affects my self worth and self esteem.
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cleo
July 28th, 2019 at 6:52 PMWhat you said at the end of your post is correct. If you can’t figure out what the issue is in a relationship, you both need to get into therapy together and fix the problem instead of hurting each other.
The rest of the post is about some clueless man who justifies his cruelty towards a grieving woman, and attempts to make himself sound like the victim. That woman is lucky that man is not in her life anymore.
I hope you are not like that man. -
Linda
September 18th, 2019 at 5:02 PMHi, I’m new here. I’m a 66 year old woman. Still married, going on 40 years. Have 3 boys, ages now 38,32 and 30. Youngest has Autism. One son moved out, living in new home with his fiance. So its just me and my husband and my 2 sons. We are both retired. Oldest son works and youngest son stays home all day with us. My husband likes to drink but I don’t. My youngest son has panic attacks alot and always needs to have someone looking after him, mostly me. I have really bad nerves and have been on medication for about 25 years now. Also now since I am 66 years old , I am having some medical problems with my kidneys, sleeping etc. I’m always on edge and can’t relax. I’m not happy, I’m depressed, I don’t feel good about myself anymore. I get no support from my husband. He says I’m lazy, crazy and selfish. He wants things to be done his way. He wants to get back to the way he was when he was young like partying etc. He complains that he never expected his retirement to be like this that other people travel etc. Try to tell him that not everyone has the same retirements. That we have a disabled person who has autism to look after. Plus we don’t have alot of anything anymore, money etc, plus no support from anybody. When he talks to me he talks with anger and always shouts. Never says anything good to me. Never compliments me anymore. Hasn’t taken me anywhere in a long time. Now he ignores me. Blames me for everything also never says it’s his fault never. Offers no support. It’s hard to live with someone who doesn’t care for me and whom I feel may not love me. I don’t know what to do how to feel about this. I feel lost in my heart myself and my home. Anyone there can help me??
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Susan
September 19th, 2019 at 12:43 PMThis is a response to Linda’s post. Linda, I am 73 and have been married for almost 43 years, so not too different from you. I just wanted to say that it seems to me that men get grumpier as they get older. I wish I knew why. In the last few years my husband has seemed to regress to how we lived many years ago, when we lived in his old family home. I never enjoyed living there as his family is so different from how I was raised. The big old house hadn’t been updated in years and wasn’t updated much in the 14 years we lived there. I could hardly wait to get out of there. We moved to a slightly larger small town near by that was more “me” and he built us two homes, we lived in each for about 10 years. Then we moved to his dream property, 40 acres in the middle of nowhere. I was raised in San Diego so not a country girl. But this house, well, it’s like returning to the big old house. He seems to want to live like he did when he was growing up. I have no choice, I have no personal income besides my social security and a small retirement that isn’t enough for me to live on alone. So I’m living a life I never really wanted. I’m trying real hard to deal with it and trying to enjoy life here. When I complained about living here he would get very angry and yell at me. He’s not a communicator. So I have had no choice but to accept my lot and enjoy what I do enjoy about my retirement. I retired 3 years ago, the same summer we moved here. He is 6 years younger and is still building houses so he is gone for 40-50 hours a week to the nearby town, 8 miles away, while I’m here living a retirement I didn’t want. I want to travel and enjoy my time but he’s always working. Life doesn’t always work out the way we want. It must be much harder when you’re dealing with an adult child with autism. One of our sons is in the middle of getting his PhD in special education and he will specialize in autistic children in the school system he now works at as a school psychologist. His dissertation will be on Inclusion, including all children in regular school classrooms. I hope you can find a way to enjoy your life more. I’m slowly finding my way through this time that isn’t like I thought it would be either.
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Nancy
August 24th, 2019 at 5:04 PMHi everyone I’ve read each and everyone’s comments and i also feel for each and everyone because i was in the same situation i was being so stonewalled each and everytime. Till this time that my husband left on to a long contract out of state and just stopped talking to me it was heartbreaking. I am a Christian and i just felt on my knees with what pain i had and humilliated myself on to God asking for fortress, understanding, and peace asking him to change his ways but an inner voice told me i needed to change first so i started and suddenly i started having peace, and fortress and then my understanding i knew i had to do some changes as well cause i had pride and ibwas wrong too. I then asked for guidance thats when i texted him and i asked for forgiveness and also told him i forgave him for how he was too. I just needed to know if he was gonna just be how he waa being i needed to know he forgave me cause i needed to go on with my life but it wasn’t me who was doing this it was God he was guiding me i had peace i wasn’t going crazy not knowing what to do he also wanted everything his way and and always wanting to do things at his time i would go to one church and him to another we would do things together but he wouldn’t see how he was at times and we would argue and then he would stonewall me . So now he calls me to ask me how work is , how i am doing and now he offered to go with me to church, bible classes and do more things together but all i can say is that we can find help and we can get all the therapy we want but we need God cause what is impossible for me is so possible for our Father Lord and i will always give the Honor and Glory to my Father Lord its great and wonderful to have this therapists who diagnose this cases but its so better to know we have God who with him we can surpass anything in our lives. As i am writing this message i got a message that i just got sent i want to share. Sometimes temporarily feels like forever, but it’s still temporary. Don’t place permanence on your situation because a solution seems far away or because happiness seems out of reach. God will allow this phase to pass once you learn everything that he is trying to teach you. Amen!!
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Sandy
September 4th, 2019 at 2:09 PMMy story the same as most others. He divorced me after 28 years. I can say the patterns had a progression in our marriage — he stonewalled for years and I felt so frustrated and scared all of the time. He could see how his silent treatment terrified me. I’m someone who had a successful career and was in my early 30’s when I married. I wasn’t a naive wallflower. Sometimes the silence went on for months. No conflict was ever resolved. He never expressed anger or complaint about anything, yet from having the marriage end, he finally revealed his issues about things I did that he didn’t like. Nary a word was spoken at the time of the offenses. I remember early on feeling like he expected me to read his mind. At some point around say, 10 years into the marriage, I started to realize that he would not take responsibility for his actions, and, he would rarely if ever apologize and even then it was a defensive “I’m sorry” that indicated that no sorrow was actually felt by him. I eventually decided to do to him what he was doing to me, for three reasons: I could not trust sharing what I had issues with because I could see he would use them against me by exacerbating the undesirable behavior (which felt punitive to me) and also, I just wanted to do it back to him, and, I felt enraged with anger. So I clammed up, and with the information he gave me at the end of our marriage, he perceived that I had “given up” on us. I don’t know why it was incumbent on me to air the issues exclusively, but apparently in his mind it was. My therapist was strongly in favor of also acting as normal as possible to usurp his power to undermine or control me. So I spent many many years acting like nothing was wrong, and our kids never witnessed a fight or any conflict. I noticed that in the last 10 years of the marriage I was apologizing all of the time. It was pathetic. I want to add here that it takes two people to ruin a marriage and I am only too willing to admit to my role as I have confessed here — clamming up and acting like everything was OK. An additional behavior that became apparent to me towards the end of our marriage was his almost compulsive lying about everything, and when I would point out what he said, he’d deny having said it. It was a form of gaslighting.
We went to a counselor the last 2 years of our 28 years but my husband was unable to participate in a meaningful way. He had all ready had affairs and was involved with someone he wanted to leave me for. The end of my marriage devastated me — I did not work for 5 years. My hands shook for at least a year. I felt as low as I had ever felt in my entire life. Our kids (who were early to mid-twenties when it ended) were devastated too, and guess what: He stonewalls them too and there is no relationship there. It breaks my heart to see how it has hurt them. A child needs both parents for their lifetime, and yet again, I feel he has shoved the burden of worrying about them upon me by his distant relationship with each of them. I know I’m not responsible for his behavior, but someone has to look our for them. They are young adults and this has been unnecessarily confusing for them. I look back and wish I could have minimized the damage to our kids. More assertive behavior would have helped, although it would not have enhanced his lack of involvement. It would have preserved my self-esteem a little better. As his ex-wife, I am the only one who communicates between the two of us. -
Linda
September 20th, 2019 at 12:55 PMTo Susan
I was nice to talk to you about how your life is going.
I appreciate your comments and at least I know someone cares enough to read about mine. Thank you again so much. Wish I someone like you living close by to confide in from time to time. -
LoRig
December 10th, 2019 at 2:00 PMI got out of a relationship with a stonewaller and it was definitely a good idea! However now I’m up against my own material, the chronic patterns of MY OWN that got ME into this situation to begin with (and what seems to keep leading me into these situations). And I’m a little stuck on what to do.
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Cally
December 22nd, 2019 at 8:10 AMJimmy: would you have begrudged your wife the seven times she took a Vacation to Europe without you from 1987 to 2013. We had to keep him from taking those summer and millinial vacations to let so many others that had hard family decisions about working themselves and their children and extended families would have suffered, Huis father, and others always had alternative plans at better times for him to try so he would not be in every ones way from the day everyone else returned from the plants Christmas shutdown, He by the time he was retired would work the holiday shutdowns and holidays instead of make lesser seniority work, He just would not listen to reason about working instead of using his UAW contract to force people of religion, with young children, extended family nearby that had traditions, that had been forged over generations. When my husband came back to his UAW position with such high seniority things around him and his father as well as community leaders w4nt straight down in flames within the first hour he was home. HE wanted to walk out of his fathers house at 4 am the morning he arrived home with me in tow and be able to tell everyone in the area he was going to do as he saw fit. If I had known the way things would turn out 29 years latter I would have run out the door with him, He wanted to use the UAW clause about returning from military leave from the Navy’s submarine service and take the 30 days to return with his over nine years seniority when he reinstated The hope was just get him back on the job his first day home and from then on we would have the control that was needed on him to get him in line with the community and everyone else’s wants, From that first week when he left his mothers dinning room table looking like fire wood after it was thrown at me, his father, Two other women because we were trying to just get him to stay on a shift he hated, 2nds, Let the younger of the two women to stay on first so she would have a social life in the evenings. We just wanted his return to be as little of a disruption to 6he lives of those in the community as possible. The war was on that first week that there was one casualty in death, and over 35 people ended up hospitalized at my husbands hand by 2013 When he came home from his second long tri year absence relearning to walk and use his hands and arms after MRSA created an abscess in his central spine and the subsequent Fusion of his spine.
I had spent a quarter of a century trying to get him to stop being stubborn about using other options he had for time off other than his just holing that contract up and yelling at us that gave him his rights at work we had no say, in those rights. After 2000 he was getting his revenge on those that interfered with those rights for 15 years. All because we had a judge jail him and make him work the Millinial holiday. Even though we were coming home from Bavaria. With already made plans to replace the time he did not get off. I was going to go with him to a advertised winter wonderland with Ice rail sailing and snowmobiling as well as entertainment and movies in Souix St Marie From his birthday the 5th to the 24th. HE was ripping the heart out of the community in revenge when we returned for having him jailed without charges.
He instead wanted me to hurt. his father and mother to want to go out of the house hiding their faces the rest of the family hurt at what his demonstration made the family and community appear, as nothing better than a lynch mob.
IN 2001 he started delivering even worse pain, Refusing any compromise to get a new shift and job, for young men thought they could take on a 46 year old, third dan black belt, who had been trained in air assault, Air born as well as nuclear weapons security who did not believe in offering any quarter. In his mind once a fight started it was deadly force was automatically authorized. In One morning He Left four young men nearly dead in front of our house. The front door and frame kicked in on top of me. My leg was broken when that happened. his father was laid knocked out at a police officers feet for slapping his son for causing so much trouble in not accepting a compromise. And nobody from them on had any thing but fear towards my husband.
MY final attempt towards a compromise was eight years latter as I told him that we knew he had not had a day off except six after the tumor was removed from his brain stem in 2001> Couldn’t he just find it in his heart to let his trainee with 32b years less seniority have his time off and go on the orient express as his father and I had helped arrange. W3e had made other plans for him in a paradice for a five week vacation rental In six more months Why did he have to brow beat us about going on the Orient Express. HE did more than brow beat us. HE tried to kill his father and me in that conference room over canceling his berth in 2009. He actually dislocated my shoulder and landed on his father to strangle him to death over not getting a vacation he wanted.Three years latter his father had invited me to a Black tie dinner to accompany his best friend. It was just an evening to get out socially after the hell my husband put us through the last 29 years over his rights to a life as he put it. I was willing to try and work things out in baby steps from the day he was supposed to come home that Friday. Instead I walk out into my husbands chest holding that evil cane of his that kept him standing straight up. He had an entirely different plan for that evening that did not include his father having a thing to say in nit about any thing, I did not even have a say band he was not going to even try a compromise a wait of four hours to try and work through the last 31 years.. HE started off with he did not care what I had promised his father and his louse friend. I had broken hundreds of promises about time of, holidays, vacations as well as a family and sex life. I was going to keep every promise I had broken to him the last 31 years I was pleading and begging with him to not cause trouble that evening I would give him a 100 and he could pick any where he wanted in just four short hours we were not asking decades any longer. we were not asking for years of understanding, not even months or days. Just four short hours to have the conversation about rights and social responsibility to other people. He said he owed nothing to the lousy society except his total contempt, We had used him and a slave and second class person. I had ke[t him in our marriage using him through the state and the guardianship assigned him 29 years before. He had not even been allowed a mistress while I had my affairs, just break his back for me some more to support my who** self without the benefits of being a husband. I knew I was in danger and he was in front of the phones so I took off in my heels wanting to get to the next door and plead for help. He did not let me get one step before my cocktail gown was turned into shreds I picked up the largest pieces and I was still pleading that evening was important to his father and his friend. Couldn’t he just wait four hours more and we could start working things out in baby steps so nobody was hurt like he had done the eight years before he was put in rehab after his back surgery. I said nobody tried to deny him his rights we just tried to direct them towards the greater good.
I plead with him he did not have to do what he was considering that evening there had to be a way to work through it I said my best fried was just 20 minutes away and she was willing to go to bed with him. She had told me for over decades that she would take a man like my husband and run with him, instead of try looser after looser that was available. She was married twice and divorced twice in our thirty years of knowing each other.This year at my husbands funeral she said that he was better than any of us deserved That if she had not been so influenced by her and my husbands father when she dated him in 1976 she would have had a decent hard working none cheating husband instead of my abuse. IN 2013 I was trying to find a way when my husband forced the sex I had used for the last 29 years since his return from submarine duty. He forced me into a sex life that evening as I plead please don’t do it. We could figure something out.. I was raped by my own husband when he was not gong to hear any one out about how to start with a fresh slate.
Was there a different way to try and hold him from being so recalcitrant towards the local community.
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Dr Nana
December 11th, 2019 at 8:28 PMhey guys Are you getting any therapy or breakup recovery coaching around this? I hope so, it sounds like you’ve been through a lot. I recently did a podcast around “Why you’re still thinking about your Ex (and how to stop).” I hope you check it out and that it helps you find your way forward.
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Jimmy
December 19th, 2019 at 9:13 PMI am ashamed to say that this is the way i treated my wife. At the time i genuinely had no idea of the abusive nature this behavior caused but i do today.
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Manda
January 9th, 2020 at 3:01 PMHas anyone ever had anything serious happen to them while their partner was stonewalling them? By that I mean a death in the family, a car accident, a medical emergency, a serious medical diagnosis etc. When the person you live with treats you like you don’t exist for weeks at a time and wont even look at you it’s hard to imagine they still care. I’ve always wondered what if something really bad happened once I’ve been totally abandoned by stonewalling? Do they come back if you really and truly need them for something outside of the relationship or is your partner virtually dead during the time he’s abusing you? I’ve always worried when it happens (because stonewalling makes you crazy as is) what if something really bad happened to me, like I fall down the stairs and crack my head open does he help or even bother to check on me or just step over my bleeding a dying body making sure to still not accidentally look at your face?
Stonewalling really is the most cruel relationship mind game. I wouldn’t have even believed it possible for a human to do it to another until I lived it. I notice by these comments and my own experiences it tends to go along with cheating and lying. For the abuser it does seem to work as a magical tool to get the victim to completely forget about the horrendous things the stonewaller has done to them and focus only on gaining some semblance of human interaction. It plays such a horrible mind trick on you because suddenly all your focus shifts and because they are treating you as though you are subhuman and incredibly guilty of *something* you begin to feel it almost right away and it does not end until the stonewalling is over. Even the worst of the worst in our society can have people look at them like human beings and acknowledge their very existence. Pedophiles, rapists, people look at them, react when they speak as though they exist. When someone acts like you are virtually invisible though you are in the same room and speaking to them, it destroys you and your ability to think, feel, or process anything else and you begin to actually feel the overwhelming guilt of having done something horrendous even though logically, you know it’s the other way around. Unless you’ve experienced it there’s no way you could possibly understand. Someone telling you ‘my spouse ignores me for days/weeks/months at a time’ a person would think, so what? Just find something else to do. But it isn’t like that at all, it breaks you down completely and utterly dehumanizes you. A rapist at least acknowledges the human presence of their victims. They look at you, touch you, speak/yell at you and are aware of you speaking even though it’s all absolutely horrendous. Will a stonewaller you are air, you are nothing. Until you’ve been treated like actual nothing and not figurative nothing you can’t imagine what that does to you. It’s like Patrick Swayze trying to talk to Demi Moore without Whoppi. It’s not a fate I’d wish on my worst enemy and there is NOTHING you can do to snap the person back. There is no magic words though you will spend hours, days, weeks, OBSESSING over finding them. Ignoring them back doesn’t work. Getting angry doesn’t, opening your heart completely with I love yous, apologizing even though you did nothing wrong, taking all the blame and guilt they are throwing at you with their silence. Promising not to bring up the subject that set them off if they will just so much as acknowledge you are speaking.. Literally there is nothing to snap them out of it. I made the mistake twice in our earlier days of trying to physically block him from leaving a room by grabbing his arm and standing in front of him. The first time I got thrown to the floor and choked, the second time I was thrown into a wall and choked until I lost consciousness, once I was out he stepped over my body and had to use the door to push me off to the side so he could get out of the apartment. I doubt he even checked to see if I was still breathing.
That was years ago and I thought stonewalling was behind us as after that he’d gotten much better at calmly talking or if he couldn’t talk at least just not completely shutting down stonewalling me and interacted with me as a human, a human he didn’t like and didn’t want to be around, but at least a human who existed and was present. Were now 5 days into one that started when I caught him texting hookers and signing up for sex hook up sites on a work trip AND found out he had filmed a secret voyer sex tape of us I did not consent to being in and had no idea I was being filmed.Because of that somehow I’M the worst person in the world not worthy of human interaction. The mental gymnastics these people must play with themselves in order to not only not feel guilty for the horrible things they have done but to actually be able to BLAME the person they did it to for any bad they are feeling and then some is truly remarkable. Anyone stonewalling should be grounds to be committed because they are acting absolutely insane, delusional, completely out of touch with reality and facts and are a danger, mental and physical to anyone who has to suffer through living in a house with them.
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Lucy
February 2nd, 2020 at 11:56 AMI grew up being stonewalled by both parents. Both continue to do it to this day (I’m 36). Neither are fit to look after themselves but especially raise 3 children.
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JANE MAAC
February 22nd, 2020 at 9:58 PMI am stonewaller and i dont like it, i hate not expressing my feelings and i locked myself in the room everytime i shutdown and wont talk to my partner. Upon reading the comments majority is against stonewaller, but this is not something we can change overnight or over the months. We have to understand why there are people like me, if its hard for you to be stonewalled its way worst than us, its killing us inside. My opinion is based on myself tho but maybe some people stonewalled someone for other reason, but for me , i am not used of discussing my feelings especially when i am frustrated, if i talk i will start crying so its better to shutdown myself and cry alone that people see me in tears. Now my relationship is at risk because my partner frustrates me a lot and i keep it insided, he would notice often that i am silent so he would ask why and i will say nothing and lock myself in the room, the truth is he has done things that i dont like repeatedly or havent done things that he should be done and it causes frustration in my side , i am not the person who tells things over again, once is enough and second time is too much. All the frustrations i had inside me keeps piling up and over the last few months , i completely give up emotionaly, everything he does and things he needs to be done doesnt matter to me anymore. Now i am stuck, i dont know what our relationship will be in next months and who is to blame. Is it me who doesnt speak out my frustrations or him who continiously do thing that i dont like and dont do things that needs to be done then will ask me constantly what is wrong. at the moment i am blaming myself and it doesnt help me at all i am emotionally drain and very exhausted.
i dont know what to do. I hope i will overcome it and save my relationship. -
Bill P
May 11th, 2020 at 7:59 PMI think all ya’ll need Jesus.
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Angie
June 28th, 2020 at 10:54 AMJane Maac, please seek counseling. It will likely change your relationship all around for the better. If not, you will discover why this happens and be able to move on successfully. But some people don’t necessarily understand what you want from them or what is expected from them by their partner. Could be only simple misunderstandings. Or maybe you will fin that your partner is purposely hurting you to create distance. Either way, it won’t get better for you until you reach out for help. Best wishes for you!
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Sean
July 8th, 2020 at 5:58 PMI’ve realised I’m a ‘stonewaller’. When my girlfriend of 5 year left me and wanted to sell our house it all hit home what I had put her through. It was never deliberate or intentional, it was just my terrible way of dealing with things. She must have been so sad😞. Is it possible to change?
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Simon
July 29th, 2020 at 3:03 PMI wish I knew what stonewalling was. Having a name and understanding goes a long way for me. In conflict with my now ex fiancée I often felt attacked and criticized. “You never this” “You never that”…. ‘You always”. I felt overwhelmed and like my chest was going to explode. I would ask her to leave, go to her place, I needed space. I couldn’t control it and couldn’t back away from it once I said it. I honestly thought asking for the space was a cool down period. I now see while I came down and was fine the next day, she was angry and upset and heating up. We were always inverted in our emotion afterward, I was down, she was up and vice versa. This went on for two years of a 3.5 year relationship. I wish I had understood it, and we were able to come together on a plan to manage conflict better. Part of the problem was not routinely sitting down for a state of the union talk. Maybe a weekly meeting just to exchange feelings, thoughts and concerns in a constructive manner. I really wanted to hear her and validate her feelings, we just never did it. She says she felt afraid to talk to me. I actually felt the same way, like I couldn’t talk to her. I tried communicate to her that when I hurt her feelings, and didn’t validate her, to point to the specific action so I could understand what she was referring to. I’d like to think I would have listened openly. The problem was all our communication (lack of) was done in the heat of the moment. We never came back to talk it out. I became fearful myself, which created and/or fed the stonewalling because I thought any discussion would be made in a critical, non constructive fashion. Long story short, she got tired of it and broke up recently. The sad part is, I’ve learned so much about myself, her, us and our dynamic we could have fixed this. I didn’t want to lose her. She’s not interested in counseling and we appear to be done. Lesson learned – I hope.
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Jenae
August 4th, 2020 at 2:44 AMYour messages definitely helped me through my breakup. About a year and a half ago my boyfriend of four years and I broke up and I desperately wanted him back, and because of some of the advice you had given, I was able to! Time went on and things were back to the way they were, and were not together anymore, and it’s okay. I wouldn’t have been able to go through the realization process had I not read these, as well. Your messages were very beneficial to me, though I don’t need them anymore, they were always appreciated. Thank you so much!
Jenae
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Rich
August 9th, 2020 at 11:43 AMThanks for this great article letting us all know about the perils of stonewalling.
So many heartbreaking stories. I really feel the pain. I am going through similar pain myself. To Sean and Simon: I hear you. I was a Stonewaller too. I’m getting better little by little but it’s a hard habit to break. It can be overcome! Read Gottmans book The 7 Principles of Making Marriage work, where he introduces stonewalling and the 4 horsemen as mentioned in the article. It’s like the Bible for relationships.
Just 1 more note to everyone who is a victim of stonewalling. If you are wondering if there is something you can do to make it stop. Yes. Possibly. There is another of the 4 horsemen: criticism. Criticism is often the first of the 4 horsemen. Many times 2 of the other horsemen, defensiveness and stonewalling, are just responses to criticism. If you are critical, reducing criticism could be a big step in putting an end to stonewalling. Of course that doesn’t mean you should avoid confronting problems. Just do it in a positive, constructive way rather than being up a lot of negative things. Much easier said than done of course, but it’s worth alleviating your pain.
All the best to everyone. Hope you are able to find a way to overcome stonewalling! -
Fran
December 12th, 2020 at 2:11 AMMy partner has asperger’s (it turned out) this is nearly every day of my life. I’m not allowed to be emotional or to try to discuss the relationship or he becomes verbally abusive and storms off, longest stonewall so far was 3 months, but it’s been on/off this time from March to December so far.
If your boyfriend has autism, RUN NOW, he will destroy you and tell you it’s your fault. -
Rifel
February 8th, 2021 at 2:23 PMI offer this from a different perspective. I stonewall my husband a lot.
I don’t do it to punish him, neither do I do it to hurt or gain control over him. I do this because I need my sanity. I have been physically abused, emotionally tortured, and psychologically manipulated that I’ve finally learned to stand up for myself. My physical abuse has left lasting scars. My husband likes to exchange abusive words, (he’s verbally abusive) He’s called me lots of names…from evil to devil to senseless to studpid.. I’m sure he will win an Olympic medal in the verbal abuse marathon, if there is such a thing.
He’s insecure, he withholds sex, and can’t have any meaningful conversation, doesn’t allow me to speak, he’s always right. He looks and appears funny and witty around other people, praises me, and boasts about my accomplishments when I’m not there. But when he sees me, he acts in a dismissive manner. (By the way, I’m a professional) He has, on occasion, destroyed my computer thinking I had some unfinished work saved.
So back to the sanity bit, when he starts the violent tirade, I retreat into my shell as I do not want to be physically injured After-all, I alone will feel the pain and bear the scars. So yeah, I stonewall him when I do not want any conversation at all because conversations lead to violent outbursts which will in turn morph into physical injuries. I need my body intact!
When I need a quiet place within my mind to retreat to, when I need to study without distractions and anxiety, I. simply. refuse. to. talk. -
Neglected & Lonely
March 24th, 2021 at 12:42 PMWhile I have known of this behaviour I never FULLY had the experience with my husband. His go to move i date have any questions, concerns, needs & God forbid I want to try get to the latest excuse for his neglect & stonewalling.
He fooled me. This is his go to move especially if he has been doing ANYTHING he thinks I am unaware of. Sadly after so many years it’s too predictable & I know trying to talk when he clearly is avoiding accountability or responsibility…. It’s now turning into NEGLECT AS PUNISHMENT.
I am planning my escape. This is not the life he promised me. I’m sick of any little thing he does having to praise him like a king… If I dare have a different opinion, Question’s because things aren’t adding up with lies, Manipulation, Slandering me to family & friends to try cover his actions….
He sold me a dream & I am stuck NEGLECTED, Abandoned & Unwanted.
I need to save on the side & plan my escape. Otherwise this is going to kill me. It’s ruining my health. Both physical & mental.
I can relate to curling up in your shell & stonewalling for survival. If I dare express my worries, stresses, concerns or needs I’m crazy, demanding, needy, controlling… The list goes on. While I know this is projection it does not ease the pain. The guilt. The shame & neverending questioning what is wrong with me?
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Beth
April 18th, 2021 at 1:00 AMI have been with my partner for 10 years his communications skills are terrible. He acknowledges he has problems but will not accept help. He has lack of motivation and the ability to efficiently manage his time to complete tasks. But this is everyone else’s fault he tells me as everyone is wanting him to do other things which is nonsense he just has day to day responsibilities like the rest of us. I was emotionally abuse by my ex husband and when my current partner and l met l made it clear what l expected in a relationship marriage was top of my list and going back to school. He told people l was his future wife then l found he had cheated on me and l told him it was time to commit or l was walking he then admitted he never intended to marry that he was only joking when calling his future wife. I am trying to get him to communicate but he refuses to talk or will argue with anything l have to say he has a need to always be right even on a subject he knows squat about which l feel is disrespectful to others. He has just gotten fired from a job for the first time in his life for stonewalling lack of communication and being antisocial an $8000 a month contract down the toilet for non communication and wanting to do things his own way rather than listen to feedback from boss and adapt. We have a young son and he has no will and has refused to make one ignorantly stating his son will get everything. I have resorted to dragging him to the registery office to get a marrige certificate so if anything happens his side of the house comes to me so my son and ls home is secure. I feel trapped and exhausted. He is self absorbed selfish and emotionally flat unless it involves sex. I recently told him to stop bothering me for sex unless he starts to respect my emotions that l am not his c……..ck park. I am torn l dont want our son to be in a broken relationship my 2 oldest children were put through hell by my ex husband when we separated an l mean hell extridition jail 15 years of court abuse you name it. So lm scared
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Melissa
April 27th, 2021 at 5:41 PMNot sure by this definition of stonewalling if that’s what I’m doing, but when he’s been drinking and we have a discussion that gets unhealthy (he’s been verbally abusive and flicked me in the eye on our boat while wearing my sunglasses), so for example, the last time this happened I was looking up something and minding my own business not bothering him and he kept badgering me. I responded once with I’m just looking up something and he replied with oh so your just going to be in your phone now (he was driving) and I said no I’m just looking for something and he continued to push and push and push and because it takes two to tango, I let him be a child in his party of one and I refuse to engage, but he must have ultimate control over situations; it’s a power thing for him, so because I’m trapped and it’s a lose lose, I choose to remain quiet and let him throw his childish fits. He sauté a lot of nasty things because he can not control me and I ignore them because it will be all apologies the next day and it’s my safe Soave to put up a wall and not let it upset me or affect me emotionally in anyway. I leave his toxicity and then he’s only left with his miserable self. It seems that not matter how I respond, he’ll just use whatever the response, no matter how even loving at that point and use it for fuel to keep pushing and I take his power away by refusing to engage. Now, is this stone walling and how is this not effective given this strategy. Un essence this tactics of mine allows me to preserve my emotional energy, stay in control – not letting him suck me into his mess and keeps me from arguing back which would only end worse.
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wifeonthedge
June 13th, 2021 at 3:48 PMI am have been accused of being the stonewaller, though he started it. He will shout over me, when I am not even being mean or ignore, and then he will insult me LOUDLY, and walk away, and then not speak and ignore me completely, and when I have had it, and decide to let the stonewalling be, he comes around and says a emotionaless quick sorry, and still doesn’t seem to care about what i was going to say before he shouted and stonewalled me, so basically my needs never get met cause he keeps shouting and ignoring me until I just refuse to speak to. Of course when he finally sees I am not going to speak to him like he wasn’t speaking to me, he accuses me of things not true. Imagine unable to even ask your spouse why didn’t they answer your calls or call you back or waiting so long to call you back after work, or why they got scratches on their back and avoid answering, and they just burst out SHOUTING OVER YOU before you finish even talking and then verbally abusing you until you got no choice but to not speak to them. Well I am leaving the marriage now for real this time, and for good. I refuse to be stonewalled and then blaimed for it, cause I decide to give it back, cause of all the verbal abuse.
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Mr. Bluntly
June 14th, 2021 at 4:21 PMYou seem like such a rational, loving treasure. I’m sure he will be heartbroken.
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Mary
June 20th, 2021 at 8:46 PMI was surprised by how many comments there are. I never knew of the word stonewalling either. I feel hurt and alone. I KNOW everything isn’t my fault like he says. I KNOW it. He has such a bad attitude and a negative outlook on life. And if we have a little disagreement or if I don’t look/act 100% happy then he locks himself in his bedroom… Yes we have separate rooms because he can’t sleep with any noise… And if I try to talk to him or even apologize I just get yelled at. I get told how everything is my fault… I get called names.. and it’s like a rant.. he just wants saying the same things.. name calling and stupid things. And I say can’t we just get over this and be happy… But no.. we never can… He has to drag it out for hours. Today has been the worst. It’s time for bed and he still won’t talk to me. He’s never done it for days… Maybe I should try it. I’d have to actually go away tho… I’m too nice… I’d talk to him. He wasn’t like this in the beginning. I know I’m not perfect… I’ve said things that hurt… But never without being provoked… I don’t know what I could have done to cause the behavior to start.. if it’s like the man posted earlier.. he knew exactly when he started treating his gf that way… If I did do something.. it had to have been petty. I’ve never cheated.. never talked to another guy.. but I get treated this way almost every day. He isn’t interested in therapy.. I’ve suggested it before. Is there any other way for us to fix this?
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Mary
June 30th, 2021 at 1:21 PMWow I am so glad I am seeing this! I thought I was crazy until reading this post and all the comments here. I am in a 7+ year relationship and my BF does this to me. I am so tired of him disregarding my feelings shutting me down and treating me like this. He makes me feel like I am over reacting and crazy. Today makes one week since he has seen or talked to me over something so petty that he said that upset me. He just decided to stop coming around or talking to me. He is a very selfish person who never shows any emotions and a commitment phoebe. Nothing moves him or gets a reaction out of him ever. Everything is mostly always on HIS TERMS and rarely compromises and avoids anything serious like marriage or a ring, he always says he’s not ready (he is 58) never been married or had kids. I feel like my eyes have really been opened after reading this. My father just recently passed and I have been so emotional and not once has he hugged me or told me its going to be ok that he is there to help me through this etc. He thinks so highly of himself and makes me feel inferior I have always been a strong independent person until about 1 year into our relationship. He expects so much more from me than he will give of himself and it has been exhausting and made me very insecure. I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore that I just cant keep riding this rollercoaster so I hope I can be strong and break free from this cycle
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Tr
July 19th, 2021 at 11:39 AMI recognize alot of similarities in these posts with a relationship I literally destroyed this weekend dealing with a 28F (I’m soon 31M) who exhibited these Stonewalling behaviours one too many times.
I was in a toxic relationship for 9 years prior to all this and feel like I had basically zero tolerance for anything that remotely made me feel that way. It took me a total of five months to weed this out as being a problem that could evolve into something unbearable to me.The person in question, Hc came from another country and had childhood traumas relating to any type of confrontation. Basically the person would go into “childish” mode and engage in Stonewalling and silent treatment when triggered and couldn’t change moods no matter what logical reasoning I would try to get through her head and reason with her.
I had valid, authentic feelings and cared about her probably too much.
This always escalated quickly I’m a well articulated person who believes communication is key to happiness and I find it’s very rude and Insulting to me to behave this way. To me it goes against authenticity to act that way since it disregards every word you say despite it being such a minor things.
We had a total of three noteworthy incidents with this issue. What would happen was that the Stonewalling begun then I would say silly things then she’d basically run off to her place and stonewall some more for a few days… I thought we had done all the constructive communication, everything was well explained and understood the first two times…fool me once…!Anyways I was having a rough day which I always communicated with her what was going on. Later on we had a small argument which triggered Hc to do her thing and I attempted to resolve it quickly by pointing out the misunderstanding. It’s sort of like fighting a snake that clenches down the more you try to escape the more it clenches on… I ended up losing my sh*t and asking her to leave my place if she wasn’t going to hear anything. Furthermore she refused to cooperate on leaving and I ended up having to seek mediation from authorities as a man can’t “man handle” a women like that in my opinion.
This humiliated her so of course she blocked all contact with me so I can not even tell this person to seek help now which is unfortunate.
I think the worse part is in the farewell message she admits no part in this…it is what it is lessons learned I’m just glad I didn’t spend as long as some of you dealing with it! 5 months was long enough. -
Bridger
July 23rd, 2021 at 7:16 PMLike so many of the comments I just found this term while dealing with it happening in real-time. My wife of 4 years has always done this to me but it was usually pretty short lived and she would often apologize after. The last two years she has been escalating these and the last time was on my birthday. We had taken a long weekend before my birthday and I was kind of behind on work. She wanted me to help her take the kid to the park but I told her I needed to stay home and get some work done. This caused her to begin her stonewalling and at first I tried to cut it off before it got bad, I begged her “please don’t do this it’s my birthday” I even caved and told her I would help her take the kids to the park but it was too late. I felt so hurt, destroyed, I couldn’t see straight. She wouldn’t talk to me, pulled away if I tried to touch her, screamed at me to leave her alone if I tried to push the issue. I couldn’t believe she was doing this to me. This was one of the more serious incidents. She didn’t talk to me for 3 days after that. I told her if she ever behaved like this again we are getting divorced. Well here I am just two months later and now she started this because she couldn’t find the sunscreen and that was my fault because I moved it. It’s now been 48hrs since she literally pushed me because at first I thought she was joking and tried to giver her a hug. She is seriously on two days of not speaking to me because she couldn’t find the sunscreen. Oh and I found the sunscreen within about 30 seconds of looking too.
This is crazy, I can’t tolerate being treated this way. During out relationship she’s been unemployed, dropped out of college, had legal troubles, etc. Through all of that I’ve never tried to make her feel bad or put pressure on her, I’ve only ever asked for one thing from her and that was to stop treating me this way. I’ve been asking her for years to stop doing this to me and at least talk when she is upset. That one thing I’ve asked, she has refused to do. I’m done.
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ComfortablyNumb
September 23rd, 2021 at 11:25 PMI’ve read into so many different ways munipulation can destroy the love between two individuals. I’ll admit I have done some stonewalling, I especially utilize stonewalling in the heat of an argument. I usually go back after I’m feeling better or when I get a hold of my emotions. I’ve tried to get better at it, however when a partner refuses to speak or talk about an issue. I leave it alone and go back to later on, and if they refuse to speak with me, then I begin think something is wrong. I’m a fixer and ill stick around until it can be worked on or until a partner is ready to talk it out. I promised myself, if someone is not willing to talk things out, they prefer a break or want space with no definite time frame. I will leave for my own sanity and mental health, I’ll give then a break and the space they need. While I take time for myself, making adjustments and working on me. My last relationship ended stonewalling, nothing was said, I just stated “I will always love you and I want you to be happy. Goodby friend. ” I miss them, and I however, too much time has passed, my life has changed and I don’t think I would ever want to hear from them again. I We had close to 8 years together, I still think of them, but I won’t ever bother them again. I don’t want to be an” Obligation”
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Jonathan S
October 3rd, 2021 at 7:23 PMI was stonewalled by a narcissistic alcoholic for 16 years. I’ve been cheated on, lied to, belittled, you name it, I’ve experienced it. Despite getting help for myself and being a better, kinder person to myself and to others, I’m still seething with anger at my ex for the stonewalling that I endured for so long. I went from loving someone so long ago to wishing nothing but the worst on them. There is no saving my relationship; I’ve had it. I’m done. I’m in the process of moving out and cutting off all forms of communication with my ex. Will a new life, as well as physical distance and no contact, help me to move on from this rage and hatred that is turning me into someone that I don’t like? Or are there some of us that will never get over these feelings despite all of the therapy in the world? My ex did a lot to poison my personality over the years. I don’t want to forgive. I just want to relax and be able to move forward with my life without feeling bonkers over my hatred and resentment.
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Enough Already
October 12th, 2021 at 5:06 PMI always laugh when I read suggestions to fix problems like this; they are usually, “Have a discussion with your spouse about their behavior.” Talk about denial! First off, we wouldn’t be searching for answers if we COULD fix them, and secondly, you’re not the problem. There is no such thing as two sides to this abuse; their is only one side…The abuser and their abuse, and the stonewaller is definitely the abuser when getting the silent treatment. The only answer is to leave. Anything else is just postponing the inevitable.
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Enough Already
October 12th, 2021 at 5:20 PMForgiveness isn’t for them; it’s for you. It takes the burden off your heart and throws it back at them; they still have to deal with who they are, though you are free from the pain; you have moved on. By holding on to resentment and anger, we continue to hand over our power and heart to someone who never deserved it in the first place. When I am done wrong, I nothing it; I give it zero power to continue to drag me down. As my late dad used to say, “Rise above it.” When we forgive, we loosen the shackles they have on us and we are free, while they are still in the throws of hateful bondage. Then you can leave with a smile on your face.
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Td
October 23rd, 2021 at 11:08 AMWe just had our 13 year wedding anniversary and I wish I could turn back time and never gotten married. Since day 1 he stonewalled and I never knew the term for it. 13 years later he has evolved into abandoning me and our 3 kids for hours to days at a time…never coming home or answering his phone all because of very minor things. Looking back, I never would have married him. He grew up in an extremely extremely dysfunctional household and U refuse to have my kids do the same, but I am also terrified of him having visitation without me being there. I am so stupid to have married him and had children with him. I regret everything and now I am too scared to leave.
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Emma
October 27th, 2021 at 8:32 AMHi all, I have also been reading a lot about it and when I searched for success stories of who was able to deal with it I couldn’t find much. I am dating someone for about 7 months and I realized he uses stonewalling as a means of defense. So he explained to me that the way I would ask him something or talk to him feels like an attack to him and he can’t deal with these emotional things, he does not like to argue, he prefers to get out of the conflict so that he wouldn’t get aggressive as this is overwhelming for him. I started understanding that this is very hurtful for him and we agreed that I would try express myself to him in a way that would make him feel comfortable to talk and not feel attacked. It has been working many times and we are able to discuss nicely like a loving couple. I didn’t realize that my way of communicating could affect someone like that. He then has to retreat on his own and take time,can be up to days to recover from it. We both come from previous marriage that didn’t work. I know we have our scars and insecurities. He is a wonderful man, when we don’t face such situations. He does not hurt me on purpose, he is a calm and loving man. So I want to give it my best. Please if any of you come across this and have been succeeding in keeping the stonewalling away, share with us your ways of making that work. Keeping Hope
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Gary
October 28th, 2021 at 8:48 PMThere are so many comments I didn’t read them all so i dont know if someone said this but i wish all of these people could read about me! My wife and i of 12 years would have our “fights” or arguments and I would shut down and not express my feelings well and she would say we need to finish this and eventually would say maybe we should go to counseling. I am a good guy. Theres nothing “wrong” with me, I would think. These issues or fights or whatever, were not that big of deal to me and the next day we would be all good. My wife wouldn’t bring it back up, probably hoping I would, we were tight, a good couple so everything was all good to me. That is until about 3 weeks ago. She basically said that she didn’t want to divorce, for the kids, but she was done. That her heart is done. She says shes felt like only a roommate for so long. She talks to me fine in front of kids or other people but shuts down when its just us. After doing some reading, since i have more alone time now, i came across stonewalling and immediately realized thats what she is doing to me. Buuut, after reading all about it, for the first time in 12 years of marriage, I realized thats what ive been doing to her! Totally unintentional! What she is doing to me feels like it came out of nowhere and its killing me and now i can understand somewhat how she has been feeling. I had already told her I would go to counseling this time but now i cant wait to go and learn to communicate and hopefully get my wife back! Im only commenting so hopefully whoever reads this can understand that it has taken me 12 years to understand that I really do have a problem when I didn’t think anything was wrong with me. So hopefully you can find hope and healing in this as i pray to get my wife back.
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Jonathan
October 29th, 2021 at 3:34 PMI’m sorry Gary for the pain you have experienced. I also earnestly congratulate you on your candour and genuine love for your wife! Well done! (If you can) communicate your discovery to her (preferably) with flowers. Let your actions show how much you are willing to work to keep your relationship alive. Good luck and God speed
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Sherrie
November 1st, 2021 at 6:52 AMam getting to my forties but i have no child of my own i can’t conceive am desperate to have a child of my own how will i do that my husband need a child
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Stephen
December 17th, 2021 at 7:13 PMI realise that stonewalling is a lot more complex than I thought originally. In the early part of our 32year marriage I would we didn’t get communication right. In my family we would talk and argue and not take it personally. Iny wife’s family you didn’t talk. I realised now my FIL is a master of stonewalling. His children including my wife stop talking the minute it gets uncomfortable for them. Surprisingly they don’t stop if they are angry at you? The make statements but don’t ask questions, look to blame and use this to control any discussion. They will then accuse you of trying to control them. My wife had an affair, she wouldn’t take responsibility or apologize. She simply shut down conversations stating I had to give her space. When I did, and worked hard on myself for our relationship she still wouldn’t apologize. Twice times since she has engaged in emotional affairs, with the same response. Occasionally this has resulted in an argument but on the whole we have gone months without discussing anything. I would like to but was determined to give her space. A few months back was the last emotional affair which she decided she was a victim not the instigator. This of course brought all the other issues to the fore again. My wife refused to discuss anything won’t do counseling as Nd told me it’s been 4 years since the affair and she doesn’t intend to talk about it. I’m left unresolved, wondering why I haven’t walked out. I fear as we get older she will just become worse. Her father will stop talking to his wife and then anything else is a personal attack. He is controlling but makesouthe us a victim. This is the only example of a relationship my wife had growing up
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Addy
December 28th, 2021 at 4:27 PMI have been married since 2016 and I see myself finding fault in my wife actions almost every time which I am finding uncomfortable within myself. This has been persistent and she is always the type that do tit for tat, silent and admits whenever an issue has been raised saying she will re-adjust but never done until now. The now issue going on now is going out and spending unusual hours outside for a journey of short time, this has been troubling me and my mind is troubled has am looking towards the future of the children. This is a woman that attends church service every Sunday that is available and listen to religious sermons and prayers online. I am troubled and affecting my thinking faculty.
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Colleen
January 2nd, 2022 at 10:43 AMI am married to a stonewaller and now I am stonewalling as a protection mechanism for myself. It can go on for hours weeks or months. He won’t go to therapy he says it’s my problem. I fell so lonely and helpless
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Miriam
January 15th, 2022 at 6:48 AMColleen, I feel for you, I’m in the same boat. My husband of 9 years is a stonewaller. It’s like he’s punishing me for opening up to him. I read that when you are given the silent treatment, there is a neurological response in your brain that corresponds with feeling physical pain and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so unbearable to try getting through to a stone wall. Not to mention the feelings of rejection and not being validated. It’s not easy for me to open up and use my voice with him because in the past he became instantly enraged, no matter how gentle I was. I’m sure he was embarrassed and ashamed of the behaviour, but instead of trying to be empathetic and fix it, he got angry and dismissive. So for the longest time, I did what you did. I stonewalled him, not out of vengeance or punishment, but out of protection. To be humiliated for expressing a feeling is horrible! I ended up breaking up the marriage and he said he wanted to work on himself, this was on December 20th, just 3 weeks ago. So I gave him another chance and up until last night, he was trying…but then bang…right back to old patterns. He was being very impatient with me when I was trying to help him and I told him that…again very gently because he’s hyper sensitive too. Suddenly he walks away, says I’m “being mean” to him and hides in his office (now his bedroom) with his lights off. I went in to apologize for being mean (I learned that I don’t need to be right, I was trying to be empathetic to him)…but he told me my apology was fake when it wasn’t. There’s no winning really. There’s no reasoning. I’ve come to realize that either I accept it and walk away and not chase and see how things unfold while I shut myself down and NEVER open up to him again (what a horrible way to live)…or gather my strength and confidence and finally end things. I hope you can figure things out Coleen, I know, it’s no way to live, but the idea of breaking up is also very difficult. ♥
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Nicole
January 16th, 2022 at 3:33 PMI’ve dealt with this from my on again, off again boyfriend/husband (we were married, divorced, and then try reconciling periodically) for about 11 years. If I could tell someone struggling with this one thing, it would be that odds are, the stonewaller will never change, and if you can’t deal with it, you must just leave. It has been madness for me to try with this man over and over and over. Reading self help books, going to counseling on my own for three years, trying couple’s counseling, which he only went to twice, and tip toeing around his trigger areas, ie: any form of talking about any sort of needs or problems with him or the relationship. While I did emotional gymnastics trying to figure out my problems to make it all okay, he did no growth whatsoever. I found that his stonewalling was a sneaky form of control. If I ever brought issues, or needs or concerns to him about our relationship he would just not talk. He would not return calls or texts and always have somewhere extremely important to be so he could run off and avoid it all. No matter how calmly I would discuss things, and give him lots of time and room to respond, he never would discuss anything. He would tell me he needed time to “process” what I had said because he said he wasn’t good at communication and it took him awhile. So I would but he would never get back around to discussing anything, ever. It all got swept under the rug and yet he wondered why I had some built up resentment about these issues. Needless to say, it was my responsibility to read the writing on the wall and walk away for good. No matter what a person is a small portion of the time, no matter their potential, what matters is what kind of person they are to you the majority of the time. If that is not something you like or can live with there isn’t much you can do. If you express your feelings, your needs and try to work on your end of the problem yet they never do anything to meet you in the middle, you have your answer as to what they are capable of. People don’t change because we want them to and it doesn’t happen by magic. Not to mention that they may not even truly want to change anything. It may be working for them on most levels anyway despite our unhappiness. I would hate for anyone to waste as many years as I have on someone who stonewalls. I am sure there are a few that when enlightened of their actions, take initiative and learn new communication skills and can get better but for the most part, I think this is something learned from an early age and is deeply ingrained and therefore not likely extinguished. I know the pain those of you who are going through this are in. I know how utterly worthless and how lonely it can make you feel, but don’t let anyone’s lack of appreciating your value decide your worth. Only we get to decide that and we can find other people who will value us as we deserve to be and not treat us this badly. Stonewalling is emotional abuse and is a form of control. It is not the same as taking time to cool off or disengaging when things get heated. Just because you don’t get bruises on the outside from it doesn’t mean it isn’t doing you great harm.
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Megster
January 17th, 2022 at 12:51 PMThis piece is garbage. Stonewalling is abusive behavior and people who do it are abusive, period. There is no valid reason to do it and this article implies that it’s someone else’s job to make sure men don’t stonewall their partners. Giving men a pass, which this article effectively does, and puts partners on the hook for preventing it somehow, ensures the problem is perpetuated, which is good for goodtherapy, I guess.
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Miriam
January 18th, 2022 at 3:48 PMNicole, sometimes the physical bruises follow, I can attest to that. I’m about to start a 30-day program to kind of re-wire my brain so that his nastiness stops triggering my fear of abandonment. This is why I stay (I think so anyway), I fear being rejected and discarded so I put up with his garbage. I’m hoping this program will help me. I’m starting in 2 days and I really can’t wait. It’s supposed to help you get through the fight/flight/freeze reaction when you feel threatened (usually by their abuse)…I can’t wait to get off the hamster wheel.
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Nicole
January 22nd, 2022 at 9:18 PMHi Miriam,
I’m sorry if you have experienced physical abuse as well as stonewalling. That is not something anyone deserves. What program are you starting, if I may ask? I too stayed because I got looped into the roller coaster cycle of being accepted and then perpetually rejected with silence. Eventually I’ve had to ask myself if the minute amount of time that I was receiving what was “good” and I had come to see as acceptance ( it dwindled to the breadcrumbs, not even the basics of a healthy relationship) was worth all of the loneliness, the blaming myself, the being the only one trying to fix things and I decided it would always be this way. No matter what he “said” when he decided to talk and be close once again, the cycle didn’t lie. If this was going to change it was because I chose to exit the game. The hamster wheel is a maddening place to be. I’ve been there so often it really became the norm and I had forgotten what it was to be in a real relationship with someone who communicated and put effort in. I hope you find some benefits from your program and get off the hamster wheel. You deserve more. -
Oprime
January 23rd, 2022 at 6:11 PMJust getting to know the name of this condition. It’s sad that sometimes we just have to resort to stonewalling. I have always resorted to stonewalling when I get very angry with my spouse and it takes me days to get over it. I wish I could help but that’s the only way I can slow down my anger and not physically abuse her. I’ve also tried talking to her when she upsets me but most of the time she’s irrational in her thoughts, What do I do ?
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Toni
February 20th, 2022 at 2:00 PMHi everyone, thank you for your comments, it has really helped me understand the whole stonewalling process. I am in a similar situation and feel like I really don’t know what to do anymore. I am 39 and my partner is 32, we have been dating 3 years and live together. I was previously married for 10 years to a husband who cheated on me on multiple occasions including when I was pregnant. I would say I do have deep insecurities and trust issues, because of this relationship. I probably have an anxious attachment style, something I’m working on. When I met my now partner, I had finally found some confidence, had my own house and was coping with being a single parent with 3 children. At the start he was amazing, absolutely perfect. Good looking, was in love with me, accepted my children and very quickly told me he wanted to marry me and have a child with me. He showered me with affection and love, something I really had never had before. We moved in together after 6 months. We were so in love and had a great relationship. I then joined the fire service which at the start, he was very supportive of but in time it caused issues. He had to take on more responsibilities with the kids but the family life he thought it would be was difficult ( it came with stresses as having kids always does) he then started to change, he started to withdraw from me emotionally. He started to stonewall me for weeks at a time, using affection as a weapon to withdraw. He then started to tell me he is unsure if I’m right for him as anytime I bring anything up to him that he dislikes, he feels cuts an attack and further withdraws and stonewalls. He is a primary school teacher and surrounded by women. He has now started to go out all the time with his female Co workers, texting one in particular and going for lunches. This has been recently triggering my insecurities. Especially with the fact he is now saying he is unsure that I’m right for him. If I do try and talk about our relationship and fix the issues, I get stonewalled again. He left a few weeks ago and moved out for two weeks. I then chased and he came back but now says he is unsure again. My self worth is so low, my anxiety is through the roof. He keeps telling me it’s all my fault. I am doing everything I can to try and fix it. He no longer talks about a future with him and I basically feel in limbo. He even stonewalls my children who now barely have any relationship with him. Again when I try and say he needs to work on that relationship, he says the problem is with them and that he has tried enough. The environment in the house is toxic, I have no idea how to change this and make it better. I love this man with all my heart and just want it to work.. 😔
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Sonam
February 27th, 2022 at 9:07 AMThis comment section gave so much validity to my experience. I felt so lost and alone experiencing this behavior from my ex. It broke me. My mind could not think clearly anymore.
I am more focussed on why did I choose to endure this for 8 years. I was suicidal by the end of it. -
Jini
February 27th, 2022 at 9:23 AMI am almost crying from relief, having read this thread. I didn’t think about the fact that stonewalling is what my husband does, but he fits it exactly. We only got married in September and it’s been very rough, the majority of the time. He also is an alcoholic, which I didn’t realize prior to marriage (we had a long distance relationship, so both of these behaviors were able to be hidden from me). He just got out of rehab two weeks ago and I thought things would be much better, but he’s still being an ass. His latest (and most frequent) complaint is that I refuse sex, which is 100% not true. He never, ever, initiates sex, he insists on keeping our bedroom door open for the cats (I love cats but don’t want the door open at night, especially when we have a teenager in the house), he doesn’t even act like he’s into it, as he’s completely silent and has performance issues, but it’s my fault of course. (I’ve never had issues with any other man and I used to love sex.) I’ve asked him to initiate sex, to tell me when he wants it, or even to tell me what he wants from me. Absolutely zero response, just anger and refusing to talk, for weeks at a time. Well that’s not completely true. He’ll answer little questions, with short answers, but he refuses to communicate about our relationship, or to go to couple’s counseling, which I’ve begged him to do. I’m going to a couples counselor alone, which is ridiculous. I told him yesterday that if he refuses to work on our relationship then we may as well divorce. Of course there was zero response. The next step? A divorce lawyer.
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Jonathan
February 27th, 2022 at 10:12 PMSo sorry for your experience Sonam, that sounds brutal. Be exceedingly kind to yourself
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The Stonewaller
March 12th, 2022 at 1:23 PMI am a stonewaller. I am female. Just know that sometimes it actually has nothing to do with you. We like to handle our stuff on our own. I think it comes from childhood. Being yelled at, takes our ear off just makes it worse. Learn to leave us alone when we are emotionally overwhelmed. It doesn’t mean we don’t love you.
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Me
March 13th, 2022 at 10:51 PMand so much more complicated when the stonewaller is a psychologist
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jay
March 29th, 2022 at 2:24 PMI just realized I stonewall my wife when she explodes on me and goes into a fit of rage. I stonewall because I just fear her insults and rage and it is also a way for me to cope. I don’t do it to manipulate her. I made my share of mistakes so I am far from the ideal husband. She loves me one day and the next goes crazy. I would fight and argue back but it has been 3 months since I stayed ‘calm’. When she starts insulting me in front of the kids I just walk away because I don’t want to add fuel to the fire. I am starting to think she as some kind of disorder…or maybe she has so much anger for me but is trying to hide it (being caring one day and a insult me the next). She has also threatened to commit suicide. My life is hell, all the money, big home, education, credentials, are worthless to me…I feel like the homeless guy on the street as more respect than me. I am considering a divorce. Before I was thinking about the kids but it is getting to the point I don’t care anymore….maybe it is the consequences of the mistakes I made in the past.
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Carole
April 2nd, 2022 at 1:47 PMYay, I have been with my stonewaller for 29 years and am now finally packing up to leave this most depressing situation. He’s definitely a Jekyll and Hyde and throws temper tantrums like a 2 year old. I have had all I can take. Good luck to all of you. And by the way, I’m 74 years old and in treatment for stage 4 lung cancer. One would like to think her husband would be caring enough to grow up long enough to get through this.
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kellee
April 14th, 2022 at 7:54 AMIts heartbreaking to try so hard ,and yet there’s nothing you can do to stop it ,im in this very situation and have been in most of my relationships, im a people pleaser ,I am often targeted because I have a soft spot for underdogs, because I wear my heart on my sleeve, The majority of predatory narcissist men have picked me out . To cope with the abuse ,you switch off even more till you end up losing hope of ever finding that partner you so wish to have ,my expectations are not too high I just wanted respect ,why would you not want to find a way to make things better ,we only live One lifetime.
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kellee
April 14th, 2022 at 8:05 AMcarole , im sorry you have to go through such a traumatic situation on your own ,
my thoughts are with you and sending you a virtual hug x -
LillyWarren
April 30th, 2022 at 3:41 AMI’m the one ‘stonewalling’ my husband and it’s because whenever he wants to discuss our issues he ends up just blaming me, insulting me, or if we do discuss and set boundaries he back tracks and is in denial over what we agreed. So I’ve completely given up, I never used to do it, only since I’ve noticed a cycle to the behaviour. He keeps approaching me to talk but he only uses the situation to try and manipulate me. So while people say stonewalling is emotional abuse I don’t do it for that, I do it to survive and protect myself and children from escalation. I am starting to see a therapist. I refuse to see a couples counselor with him because he’s emotionally abusive and I feel you can’t go to couples counseling with such a person because he’s a narcissist.
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Carole
May 2nd, 2022 at 3:13 PMKellee, I’m so sorry for what you are going through as well. If you are able to escape the monster in the nightmare, please find a way. It is so worth all of the pain and the hard work. Our divorce isn’t final yet, but I couldn’t be happier. I still have my family and friends that care about me and I can turn to them for the emotional support I need to get through this. It should come as no surprise that he hasn’t said the first word to me about the divorce. I think he finally figured out that I know what he is! Good luck to you and keep trying to get away. It will be worth it. 🤗 hugs to you!!
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BAM
June 8th, 2022 at 10:24 PMStonewalling or Not Feeding the beast?
So, I’m guilty of this but I didn’t know what else to do. I’ve started “stonewalling” my boyfriend every time he snaps his fingers at me to “shut up” (since he can’t say shut up to me in front of his family anymore). I’ve told him for 7+ years that such behavior is demeaning, rude, and makes me feel like shit inside but he dosent stop. I tell him why I’m upset, listen to his replies, but stonewall him if he only gives excuses and tries to win me back sexually (which I have to stop with force since words don’t work when he’s trying to win me back without changing his ways). I thought since all my other attempts of talking, explaining my feelings, and telling him the reason snapping his fingers at me hurts me so much didn’t work that ignoring his attempts to have sex to make up would be okay. This is a trick I saw Supernanny use of kids in time out – since he can’t talk things through I wasn’t sure what other techniques besides that for kids who cannot talk through their issues in-depth would work if any. -
Lisa
July 31st, 2022 at 1:33 PMHi everyone, I too am victim of stonewalling. What I want yo know is there such a person as a narcassistic stonewaller. My man has been this way for the 17 years we have been together. I live in AZ where there is 0 tolerance for DV thankfully. When we lived in NY he physically abused me on 3 seperate occaisions and in all three instances the police were called and yet they took his side as he painted me as the aggressor. I was made to leave goid ol NYS police. Even when I had a gash down my spune from him putting me through our bedroom door. They still believed him over me and said, ” well maam it looks as though the door was kicked in”. Ya think?! The door opened inward. Any way there are ladies out there like me who have no choice but to go back to the abuser mostly for fear of what they may do if you dont not to mention they are our financial stability. I have not one person I can talk to or vent to out here in AZ because the friends that we have key word here is WE are both of our friends but if I try to tell them something they go behind my back and tell him what I said. I have no self esteem, no dignity, and no self worth anymore. I can not continue to live this way. I have some major health problems and he is fully aware of them and what my capabilities are. Last summer he threw me out like trash because he said I was always negative. Knowing I had no where to go or even any transportation to leave. So I called who I thought was a friend. She came to my rescue only to throw me out too. I had no choice but to go back. He said so you want to give this another go?! I wasnt sure I told him. I know that I need out of the situation but with no wheels of my own Im frozen in time. He throws in my face all the time the intamacy issues. He expects me to be intimate when every time I try all thise memories and the name calling comes rushing back in my head and heart. Ive been trying now for 2 years to get a loan to purchase a vehicle so I can gain freedom once again but Im so afraid to be aline now because of his actions. He is very good at lying and manipulating things to make himself look the hero and me the bad ass. He calls me names and the last time about a week ago I said to him see there you go, why you gotta call me names ? I dont call you names . He just glared and said nothing the rest of the day and night and into the next day. He stays that way until someone else is around then its honey this, honey that, babe this, babe that makes me want to vomit. Then when the other person leaves right back to where we were before the guest. He beat me up one time out here and the law was called. He went to jail only to get out 2 days later on bail. I had a restraining order on him so he couldnt even come home to his own home. He stayed in a friends motor home. How do you get your self worth and dugnity back when it has been stripped away? Will I ever overcome this and will I really be okay without him in my lufe. I sometimes think I deserve this but I know in my heart I dont. He does not appreciate anything I do for him and throws at me that I dont do it for him but for myself. He does not respect me, clearly he calls me names. So just wanted to ask those questions and to share that yes, I too know what you are going through. Thanks for letting me vent out here.
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Diana
September 9th, 2022 at 3:15 PMMy sister has BPD and NPD. She sees nothing she does as wrong. She is very toxic and has caused me so much anxiety. She pushes people away until they block her because they’ve had enough, then she accuses them of stonewalling them. My mental health is more important than worrying about what she thinks of me. I had to block her because she kept attacking my daughter because she changed her name. She was mad because I “corrected” her when she said the wrong name. So she took it out on my daughter, making fun of her, saying she needs counseling, etc. So now that I’ve blocked her, she’s accusing me of stonewalling her. There’s nothing I can do to help her, but there is something I can do to help myself. I really think there needs to be more articles about the difference between abusive stonewalling, and protecting ourselves by blocking toxic people.
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Melody
February 1st, 2023 at 9:08 AMHello! I just came across this article. I guess I am the stonewaller in our relationship. I have come to the place that I do refuse to talk about things anymore. It is absolutely pointless and a waste of my time and energy. I understand that working out an issue is optimal. But, after 10 years of disagreements (especially over our kids), I am tired of the same fight. There is absolutely no respect for the way I would like my household to run. It is always about the kids, even the 21 year old son still living at home. He pays no rent, brought in 4 cats and won’t scoop litter, won’t clean his room, or help with dishes or laundry. When he is approached about it, there is yelling and screaming and “her kids don’t have to do that”. So, yes, I have resorted to silence. If that is stonewalling, then I guess I am. It is the only defense mechanism I have left to keep me going.
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TipperT
May 30th, 2023 at 10:18 AMInteresting article. My partner and I currently live apart due to work committments. We had a lovely weekend, she told me that she couldnt see me next weekend as she is spending time with one of her girlfriends. I am a teacher and this is hands down my busiest week of the year but she asked me to stay at her place for a night or two midweek. I thanked her but said all I would be doing would be correcting assignments but it would be great the week after. Since then all I am getting is one word texts from her. This has been going on for several days now, is this stonewalling?
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Elizabeth
June 29th, 2023 at 12:57 PMI’m currently experiencing a situation where my husband is stonewalling me. It’s become unbearable for me, so I isolate myself in my room to avoid his ignorance. Whenever I try to speak, he either walks past me angrily or shouts me down. We run a business together, and effective communication is crucial, but he refuses to respond to my notes or texts. I’m exhausted from constantly being yelled at and blamed for everything, always feeling like I have to tiptoe around him. He purposely does things around the house to provoke me. Recently, he even told me to leave, thinking I’m planning something, which is entirely untrue. He struggles with several addictions that contribute to mood swings. His controlling behavior weighs me down, leaving me feeling consistently low and on the verge of tears. I feel trapped because leaving now would make me homeless. When he behaves this way, it fills me with desperation. While he isn’t always like this, his relationship with alcohol and prescription medications makes him paranoid, insecure, and angry. The advice pages suggest having a conversation with your partner, but I’ve tried that before, and it only leads to explosive outbursts or complete shutdowns. Everything is always my fault in his eyes. Although I still have feelings for him, they will fade if things don’t change. Stonewalling is both childish and cruel; it’s a form of emotional abuse. However, there might be underlying reasons for this behavior, such as childhood trauma or learned behavior. Regardless, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be an emotional punching bag for someone.
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Lady
January 1st, 2024 at 12:18 AMNo need to overanalyze – These are emotionally immature and crippled men. Nothing special and shouldn’t be treated as if they are.
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