Sometimes people punish others for an offense by cutting off communication without warning for a week or even longer.

How do you feel about it and how do you cope?

Honestly it all depends on the reason.. If it is just you don't talk to them but once in a while I don't think anything about it.. For I'm not one that calls or text others daily.. I go a week or more at times in between talking to people.. and then pick right up where we left off...

Actually only know one person that I actually have contact with on a daily bases... Due to e-mails... other then her I don't even talk with my own family that much...some I only see on Holidays... or once in a while..

Now if it is being done cause they think they are punishing me, then to me that is their problem..If they want to act that way fine those I finally tend to avoid all together... Funny those kind think they are punishing others when in reality they are doing them a favor...

Interesting topic...
depends very much on the relationship...if there is no close relationship, it could get a "so what" response...rather than toss gasoline, doing nothing is my initial approach

if it is a close relationship, then the icebergs minus degree atmosphere are a clear clue that I am being punished...my response is a ice breaker (direct approach) to determine the basis for the thermometer setting...I am not too proud or any of that stuff to apologize and admit a misstep or bad judgement or whatever...if the offense was something deliberately done, then we have a huge problem anyway; however, the more probable situation is a misunderstanding or bad communication or something not mean spirited or intentional..

if attempts to establish a dialog are met with continued silence and the temperature needle does not move at all, then there is a BIG problem because even frozen meat will go BAD over time..and when it reaches the TOXIC level, it can be a death decree for the relationship...then i pick up my chips, doff my chapeau, wish everyone all the best, excuse myself from the table, cover my rear view mirror, and place one foot in front of the other...

I actually do this quite often.

People like to rehash things, discuss things beyond enlightenment and refuse to heed ... "The End Message".

Most of the time, If someone doesn't understand me I will repeat myself up to three times. After that, I will no longer respond unless something new is tabled.

I can hear and I have a fairly good grasp at communication. I don't need to rehash issues or concerns for better understanding. If its gossip, I listen but often refuse to participate. Sometimes I do when I hear gossip that is totally false to what I have witnessed. But for the most part, when I say something, I'm done talking.

If I end or she ends a budding relationship. Once farewell is said, there is no point in talking more. I don't answer because I am done with it.

If I am talking to someone and ask them a question and they don't acknowledge it in some way, I will repeat myself just in case they didn't hear me or comprehend what I said. If the continue the silence even after I know they understood me, I let it go. If it comes up again, I ask again.

If someone is trying to get my goat because they are mad at me but don't tell me then I just do what I was going to do anyway.
The X started doing this towards the end.
I would ask if she wanted to stop at the store on the way home and she would fold her arms and look away. I wouldn't stop. LOL, it made her even more mad but that was the fun of it all. I asked, she said nothing so I went about my business.

The loss of communication between two people can mean the discussion has ended, someone has lost interest in the topic or in relationships, the relationship is ending or has ended.

I don't have ppl in my life anymore who practice such behaviour. I need relationships to be built on mutual respect and trust, and such immature behaviour wouldn't allow that, it would ruin it.
If a man would need to withdraw in his "mancave" I could understand, but would still appreciate to be told "I need a bit of time."
Cutting someone off as punishment, nope. Been there, done that. It is manipulation at its best, creates insecurity and co-dependency.

If done not by a partner but by friends, that would be the end of it. Such ppl aren't friends.

If done by immediate family, I would distance myself, and if left no other choice, I'd sever the tie, family or no.

Depends on a lot of things.

Depends on the relationship.
Is it some woman from a dating website where we text more than date?
Is it my mother? Some other family member?
Is it a coworker?
Is it a friend I've known for a month? 20 years?

Depends on why they're giving me the silent treatment?
Is it a difference of opinion? Like I'm a democrat and they're a republican and Obama just got elected?
Is it something major like I didn't go to a funeral? Or because I made a bad pun?
Do they feel I did something wrong, but I'm being stubborn so they won't talk to me until I acknowledge I did something wrong, even though I don't think I did?
Do I feel they did something wrong, and I keep pushing them, and they're running away from it?

Depends on if this is something normal in the relationship.
Do we normally go a week without talking?
Do they routinely do this kind of thing so giving time just blows over?
Is it something new they're doing?
Is it a sign of withdrawing from the relationship?


Just depends.
I can feel anything from nothing particular all the way to some extreme, if they silent treatment me.
I can cope by reciprocating the silent treatment, or just living my life normally, or waiting, or chasing them down.

Oh, hey...CrystalFairy.
Before I forget to mention it

NICE PICTURE
You sure look happy!

The silent treatment is hard to maintain under one roof...someone will eventually watch something funny on YouTube, and let out a giggle...then another...which over time, will make the other smile and giggle too...

I usually just wait for the ice to melt

Thank you so much, Tom! And yes, I am happy

I haven't had to deal with such in a long time, fortunately. I'm in the "it depends" group as well.

Getting very serious about this...

our lives consist of all of our choices and actions. NOT of our intentions or desires. And each choice we make, therefore needs to start from the most fundamental, active decision of all.

The question which we MUST ask ourselves is, what exactly are we trying to do? What is the goal of our interaction with this person? If my goal in such a situation is to preserve and continue my life with that person, I would tolerate any action they took as being a part of pursuing that goal. If instead, my goal was to continue my independent life journey, and their goal in playing the silent treatment game was to deflect me from that journey, I would continue on my way and ignore them.

That is not good without communication

That is not good without communication

I just had an example of this tonight.
Got a message from a local woman I have been conversing on and offline for almost a month now.
She writes Good Morning, This morning.
I replied "Good Morning"
Then a few minutes ago I got a message that says "Good Night"
So I replied "Good Night"

Then I get a message of why I didn't ask her about her day because she had a mild heart attck and is in the hospital.
WTF?
How was I supposed to know that if her only communication with me is Good Morning and Good Night?

She is not my wife , my family or my girlfriend.
We dated twice in the month that we have known each other in person.

I'm thinking this is a sign that I might be wanting to look elsewhere because if she is like this now, she will get worse over time?

I did not reply to her last message because I don't want to. It put me off.
She know I go to bed at midnight.
She usually stays up till 11pm.
I found it odd that she was telling me goodnight already but I thoght she was just tired or wasn't going to be online anymore tonight.
As it was, it was okay with me.

Her last message was Wrong to try to blame my response without telling me the conditions.

I see this as a silent treatment on both of our parts.
She didn't offer any new information and I didn't ask.
Its not because I don't like her but that opinion is changing from this correspondance.

I see it as batshiat crazy!

She may have been under
a lot of medication from the whole..."Heart Attack" fiasco.
P.s. Hope she recovers well.

Not really, She has nobody. A 66 year old widow.
She never told me which hospital she was in.
I guess she doesn't want me to visit her because if it was important she would have asked.

Perhaps she will write something more response worthy tomorrow and I can ask her. She may not be the one for me but she is still a person.
It hinges on if she writes back and what she says.

PS: She has already had one minor and one major attack and has gone thru open heart surgery. I saw the scar. She said she is okay with that.

I don't do well being manipulated. I shut those people out.
If they stop the manipulation and head games, I let them back in.

I'm a reasonable intelligent adult. I expected to be treated that way.

Because you have such irregular contact with your friends , that you probably don't even know when you are the victim of silent treatment Kristi

Thats often the case maybewecan . The person often refuses to explain why they are silent, and I agree with you that at THAT moment, you can question the stability of the relationship or at least the stabiity of the communication in the relationship

If people want to give me the silent treatment...I'm all for it! It's less I have to hear them run their fricking yap....

I can't say that I've ever, knowingly, experienced the 'silent treatment'.. that being said.. if I did... I would consider it quite immature and I would examine that relationship dynamic.