How to Deal With a Relationship That Ended With the Silent Treatment

Find out where your relationship went wrong.

Proper communication is the cornerstone of the majority of relationships. If your relationship ended with the silent treatment, you may have experienced a lack of communication and your ex-partner may share some of your questions. Finding clarity about why the relationship ended may bring you to closure, or it could bring you back together. The way you feel about your ex-partner will help determine your course of action.

Instructions

1. Take a few days to reflect on what happened and what you want. Reacting immediately may cause you to make a decision based on a false perception. You need to establish as much as possible that you have the right idea about the situation.

2. Talk to someone for whom you trust about the situation. They may be able to shed some light on what happened and what you should do. A third party can provide you with an objective perspective.

3. Initiate contact with your ex-partner and ask them about what happened. They might have wanted to continue the relationship but lacked the courage. Your ex may also have misinterpreted something you did or said and assumed you wanted the relationship to be over. Only do this if you want to rekindle the relationship or want closure.

4. Get over your ex, if necessary, by developing a routine. The more active you are, the less your thoughts will be occupied by your former partner.

5. Recognize that it will take time to find someone else you care about. Time will also heal the wound created when your relationship ended.

References

• Life & Therapy; Dealing With the Silent Treatment; Elyn Tromey; 2011
• Lisa Merlo-Booth Straight Talk on Relationships; The Silent Treatment, How to Handle Withdrawal in a Relationship; Lisa Merlo-Booth; February 2010