It can cause emotional trauma.
A person who is ignored feels a wide range of confusing emotions. They may feel anger, sadness, frustration, guilt, despair, and loneliness, all at once.
They want you to feel a sense of obligation or sympathy that they think will make them more likely to get what they want. The simplest example of this kind of emotional manipulation is the silent treatment, when someone punishes you by ignoring you.
Most psychologists indicate that it depends on the situation. When silence, or, rather, the refusal to engage in a conversation, is used as a control tactic to exert power in a relationship, then it becomes "the silent treatment," which is toxic, unhealthy, and abusive.
On this page you'll find 7 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to ignore someone, such as: blackballing, cold shoulder, ignoring, ostracism, ostracization, and sending to coventry.
It's not uncommon for someone to hold back their emotions until they have firm confirmation that the person they're interested in feels the same way they do. In their minds, it's easier to ignore someone they're attracted to than to go out on a limb and risk being struck down.
People may opt to ignore you because they have no other way to avoid a topic that might be “too much.” Other people may hate small talk so they ignore generic questions for fear of getting stuck in a conversation they'd rather not have.
One of the most common reasons people ignore you is when they simply can't relate to your interests and priorities. This is particularly common when you are out of place in a work or social environment where you're simply not needed or valued in any significant way.
Being ignored creates feelings of self-doubt, feeling a lack of control, and feeling not worthy of attention. Knowing appropriate responses to people with whom you differ is helpful in managing tense relationships.
Let them know what the silent treatment felt like.
You don't need to exaggerate or try to make them feel guilty, but you should be real with how upset you were about it. For example, “When I realized you were ignoring me, it made me feel awful. I felt like I was losing my best friend and I didn't even know why.”
Feeling ignored can take a toll on mental wellbeing.
We are left lonely, and our self-esteem can drop. This can lead to depression and anxiety.
But here's the thing about blatantly ignoring someone: not only is it rude, immature, inconsiderate, cruel, and petty, it's downright emotionally (and sometimes physically) damaging. Ignoring someone is not an act of love. In fact, silent treatment qualifies as abuse.
Ask them directly why they're ignoring you.
An honest and open conversation may be all it takes to get your relationship back on track. You may be surprised at what the issue is between you or why they think ignoring you is the right way to handle the problem.
They Want Space
You might notice yourself assuming the worst when someone ignores you. However, this behavior could be a sign that someone is craving time alone or doesn't want to be pressured into discussing something they're not ready to address yet.
One of the main reasons why a narcissist ignores you is that they want to control you. More likely, they want to regain control of you. A narcissist uses ignoring people as a way to punish them. Especially if they feel like you are pulling away.
Narcissists don't react well to being ignored and often try to punish the person ignoring them. Ignoring a narcissist may result in them trying to get your attention through various means, including apologizing and begging for forgiveness or smearing you to others.
Some partners sometimes ask, “Is ignoring a sign of love?” Some people may believe ignoring someone is a sign of love, but this is untrue. Ignoring someone you love can indicate emotional immaturity or a lack of communication skills.
The silent treatment might be employed by passive personality types to avoid conflict and confrontation, while strong personality types use it to punish or control. Some people may not even consciously choose it at all.
If someone displays unmanageable emotions and easily flies off the handle, this is a serious red flag. Responding with uncontrollable rage or the "silent treatment" could point to abusive (physical or emotional) behavior in the future, says Trombetti.
Once you know that a person is ignoring you, there's no reason for you to outpour them with messages and phone calls. It's natural to want to seek explanations for their actions or to want to understand the root of all the problem, but sometimes you just need to give them their space and some time to calm down.
Give them time and work on yourself in the meantime. Find things to do in order to keep yourself from obsessing over the person who is ignoring you. The whole deal may simply be a misunderstanding or the person may be dealing with other personal issues.
Why Silence Hurts So Much. Being ignored shakes us because it threatens our basic needs for belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence.