{"id":39590,"date":"2018-11-27T12:28:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T20:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=39590"},"modified":"2018-11-27T12:41:19","modified_gmt":"2018-11-27T20:41:19","slug":"silent-treatment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/silent-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Silent Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-39591\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/silent-treatment-with-friends-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Group of friends sit in cafe, ostracizing one person from their social group\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/silent-treatment-with-friends-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/silent-treatment-with-friends.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>The <strong>silent treatment<\/strong> is widely regarded as a form of emotional manipulation and even psychological abuse. It is the act of ceasing to initiate or respond to communication with someone else or refusing to acknowledge them altogether. It is also referred to colloquially as the &#8220;cold shoulder,&#8221; &#8220;sulking,&#8221; or clinically as ostracism.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/modes\/marriage-counseling\">relationships<\/a>, the silent treatment might manifest when one partner becomes withholding in the middle of an argument and begins refusing to engage in any way to further the discussion.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is the Silent Treatment?<\/h2>\n<p>Though it may look different from one interaction to the next, the silent treatment is generally one person\u2019s efforts to shut out another person. It can occur in any type of relationship or setting, including between:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/workplace-issues\">Coworkers<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Friends<\/li>\n<li>Family members<\/li>\n<li>Roommates<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/relationships\">Romantic partners<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are many reasons someone might try this strategy. Some people who believe they have high self-control might use the silent treatment as a way of \u201ctaking the high road\u201d or what they see as not succumbing to the level of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/communication-issues\">communication<\/a> happening with the other person. Others see it as a rational reaction to a problem or conversation, rather than an emotional one.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/stonewalling\">Stonewalling<\/a> is another form of silence and an attempt to shut out another person. Some differences lie in the time frame, as stonewalling generally happens in the course of a conversation, while the silent treatment could last weeks, months, or even years. Stonewalling may also be an attempt at self-protection\u2014that is, an individual is acting out of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/fear\">fear<\/a> of the other person or fear of conflict, rather than malice.<\/p>\n<h2>Signs of the Silent Treatment<\/h2>\n<p>Most people are aware when they are on the receiving end of the silent treatment with a partner, especially in the midst of conflict or argument. Ostracism or the silent treatment can also look like:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"popout-quote-right\" style=\"font-weight: bold; width: 30%; float: right;\">People who have been ostracized describe feeling less than human and tend to believe the person who has ostracized them also believes they are less than human.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A parent ignoring a child<\/li>\n<li>Children excluding peers during social time or games<\/li>\n<li>Online ostracism<\/li>\n<li>Nonverbal displays of anger<\/li>\n<li>Collectively shutting out an individual from a friend group<\/li>\n<li>Excluding a coworker from a collaborative project<\/li>\n<li>Family disownment<\/li>\n<li>Using a third party to threaten an individual<\/li>\n<li>Other indirect aggression (such as social media posts)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How the Silent Treatment Affects Relationships<\/h2>\n<p>Experiencing the silent treatment denies basic human social and relationship needs. The silent treatment has been known to end romantic relationships, alienate friends, and negatively impact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/child-and-adolescent-issues\">child development<\/a>. When children experience the silent treatment from parents or caregivers, the effects can be devastating.<\/p>\n<p>Some evidence suggests women may respond differently to the silent treatment than men. For example, a study of workplace collaboration shows women were more likely to compensate or attempt to become even more proactive and communicative when ostracized from a group project, whereas men were more likely to give up or \u201cloaf.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>People who have been ostracized describe feeling less than human and tend to believe the person who has ostracized them also believes they are less than human. When a child or partner feels someone close to them challenges their humanity, it can severely threaten many aspects of mental health, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/self-esteem\">self-esteem<\/a>, belonging, control, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/life-purpose\">meaningful existence<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Is the Silent Treatment Emotional Abuse?<\/h2>\n<p>Ostracism and the silent treatment are often examples of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/emotional-abuse\">emotional abuse<\/a>. While some people may be more resilient to this type of abuse, others can experience it as acutely as prolonged neglect or even other physical forms of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/abuse\">abuse<\/a>. In some cases, the person using the silent treatment may believe they are sparing the other person a more harsh or emotionally-driven response. They may think they are choosing to be silent to avoid escalating arguments or to spare the other person\u2019s feelings. Ultimately, however, the silent treatment is a method of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/manipulation\">manipulating<\/a>, punishing, or gaining <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/control-issues\">control<\/a> over another individual.<\/p>\n<p>Stonewalling may look very similar to the silent treatment; some authors and therapists use them interchangeably. Both may be forms of control or manipulation of another person, depending on the situation, and each bears similarities to other emotional abuse tactics. The silent treatment and stonewalling are sometimes associated with individuals who have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/narcissism\">narcissistic<\/a> personality traits, but it cannot be said anyone who employs them is narcissistic.<\/p>\n<h2>Therapy for the Silent Treatment<\/h2>\n<p>Some research indicates in romantic relationships, partners who use the silent treatment believe it ultimately leads to conflict resolution. Targets of the silent treatment, however, rarely agreed\u2014and in fact are more likely to feel lasting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/resentment\">resentment<\/a> toward the other partner. One of the first steps in mending a relationship that has been harmed by repeated use of the silent treatment may be for both partners to agree it is not a method conducive to problem solving.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/find-therapist.html\">Working with a therapist<\/a> can help couples identify conflict resolution tactics that better serve both partners and do not ostracize one or more parties. Someone who has repeatedly experienced the silent treatment from partners, family members, or other individuals may benefit from individual therapy to help rebuild self-esteem. In some cases, trauma healing techniques such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/types\/eye-movement-desensitization-and-reprocessing\">eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)<\/a> can help someone who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/ptsd\">posttraumatic stress (PTSD)<\/a> symptoms related to ostracism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Abrams, D., Weick, M., Thomas, D., Colbe, H., &amp; Franklin, K. M. (2011). On\u2010line ostracism affects children differently from adolescents and adults. <em>British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 29<\/em>(1), 110-123. Retrieved from https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1348\/026151010X494089<\/li>\n<li>Bastian, B., &amp; Haslam, N. (2010). Excluded from humanity: The dehumanizing effects of social ostracism. <em>Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46<\/em>(1), 107-113. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S002210310900208X<\/li>\n<li>Carbone, D. J. (2008). Treatment of gay men for post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from social ostracism and ridicule: cognitive behavior therapy and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing approaches. <em>Archives of Sexual Behavior, 37<\/em>(2), 305-316. Retrieved from https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10508-007-9239-3<\/li>\n<li>Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., &amp; Nelson, D. A. (2002). Toward a more comprehensive understanding of peer maltreatment: Studies of relational victimization. <em>Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11<\/em>(3), 98-101. https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/1467-8721.00177<\/li>\n<li>Nezlek, J. B., Wesselmann, E. D., Wheeler, L., &amp; Williams, K. D. (2012). Ostracism in everyday life. <em>Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 16<\/em>(2), 91. Retrieved from http:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/record\/2012-12087-001<\/li>\n<li>Paul, M. (2009, October 14). The silent treatment. Mental Health Matters. Retrieved from https:\/\/mental-health-matters.com\/the-silent-treatment\/<\/li>\n<li>Sommer, K. L., Williams, K. D., Ciarocco, N. J., &amp; Baumeister, R. F. (2001). When silence speaks louder than words: Explorations into the intrapsychic and interpersonal consequences of social ostracism. <em>Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 23<\/em>(4), 225-243. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1207\/S15324834BASP2304_1<\/li>\n<li>Tromey, E. (2011, December 15). The silent treatment vs. stonewalling. ElynTromey.com. Retrieved from http:\/\/elyntromey.com\/therapyblog\/?p=309<\/li>\n<li>Williams, K. D. (1997).Social ostracism. <em>Aversive Interpersonal Behaviors<\/em> (pp. 133-170). Springer, Boston, MA. Retrieved from https:\/\/link.springer.com\/chapter\/10.1007\/978-1-4757-9354-3_7<\/li>\n<li>Williams, K. D., Cheung, C. K., &amp; Choi, W. (2000). Cyberostracism: effects of being ignored over the internet. <em>Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79<\/em>(5), 748. Retrieved from http:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/buy\/2000-00920-006<\/li>\n<li>Williams, K. D., &amp; Sommer, K. L. (1997). Social ostracism by coworkers: Does rejection lead to loafing or compensation?. <em>Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23<\/em>(7), 693-706. Retrieved from https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0146167297237003<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The silent treatment is widely regarded as a form of emotional manipulation and even psychological abuse. It is the act of ceasing to initiate or respond to communication with someone else or refusing to acknowledge them altogether. It is also referred to colloquially as the &#8220;cold shoulder,&#8221; &#8220;sulking,&#8221; or clinically as ostracism. In relationships, the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3094,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"psychpedia.php","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-39590","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3094"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39590\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}