Narcissist silent treatment is a clear form of manipulation, and many psychologists believe that it is just as dangerous and debilitating as gaslighting. They say that silence speaks volumes, and they're certainly not wrong!
Depending on the method used, it can make the person on the receiving end feel powerless, invisible, intimidated, insignificant, “dissed”, looked down on, disapproved of, guilty, frustrated, and even angry.
The silent treatment is a powerful way to create change. When used by narcissists, it is a way to control the interaction and punish the partner. As social creatures, we like connection and to be liked. Non-narcissists can consider the feelings of others and don't want someone else to be upset or hurt.
Tell the person how the silent treatment hurts and leaves you feeling frustrated and alone. That's not what you want or need in a relationship. Explain that you can't resolve issues this way, then be specific about those issues. If this sort of behavior is a relationship deal-breaker for you, state it plainly.
If you ignore a narcissist and deny them their source, they may become enraged and try even harder for your attention – especially in ways that can be toxic or abusive. Ignoring a narcissist will enrage them because of their fragile egos. They'll feel humiliated and lash out against you to protect themselves.
Of course, ignoring a narcissist fuels immense rage. Even if they think they are being ignored (like you're taking too long to respond to a text), they start feeling anxious. After all, they believe they're entitled to whatever they want whenever they want it.
They will badmouth you
They may try blaming you for the breakup, making you the villain, and they were the victim in the situation. You'd be depicted as the insane one, the abuser, the cheater, and so on. Never mind, and think that this is the usual narcissist reaction to being ignored.
More often, the narcissist will go silent for some period of time, and then return as if nothing happened. They may have found a new source of supply but had a falling out with them and now they need something from you. Your best bet is to ignore them the way they ignored you earlier.
The narcissist can go for weeks without speaking to you, with the implication being that you need them more than they need you. You will be the one to beg for forgiveness and acquiesce to their demands. Sometimes the silent treatment never ends.
The silent treatment can last for hours, days, weeks or months. Some people do this because they are genuinely hurt and unable to speak. When they do feel able to talk, it'll be a two-way conversation. A narcissist uses the silent treatment to punish you.
Most narcissists will view being blocked as an act of aggression. A blocked narcissist won't have any ability to silence or control you, which is very important for them. This is highly likely to be an overwhelming and scary feeling for them.
In the beginning stages of the silent treatment when you don't react to their silence, it is going to agitate the narcissist but they will still try to manipulate you into engaging with them with projection, baiting, and narcissistic rage.
Narcissists can feel emotional pain, but not usually in the same way as others. The emotional pain they may feel is usually related to underlying selfish needs. Underneath the displays of superiority and sense of entitlement, they often feel empty, powerless, and shameful, which they perceive as weakness.
A narcissist isn't likely to ever believe there is anything wrong with them. They're certainly unlikely to take this type of therapy seriously as a result. Truth be told, there's no curing a narcissist. There are many who would argue that a narcissist's heart is completely broken already.
If a narcissist is interested in you, you might notice that they shower you with admiration and attention shortly after you meet them. They might be quick to say “I love you,” put you on a pedestal, and make grand romantic gestures.
Narcissistic collapse happens when a person with narcissistic personality disorder experiences a failure, humiliation, or other blow to their secretly fragile self-esteem. Depending on the type of narcissist, collapse may look different and happen more frequently.
The silent treatment can back fire on the narc when they have used it one too many times and push you too far, when you have finally had enough of being treated so badly that you leave. You use their deafening silence to learn about narcissism, get yourself together and decide to go.
Bore them with the “gray rock” treatment.
Narcissists only keep people around to use them or to entertain themselves. If you don't have anything to offer them, they'll get puzzled and leave you alone. Don't show any physical expression, respond in as few words as possible, and be as boring and unhelpful as you can be.
Eventually a narcissist will start to move on from their relationship with an empath. They will likely find someone else to spend their time with or boss around and let their previous partner go. This can be a good thing for the empath, since they won't have to be concerned about this mate any longer.