Silent Treatment Killing Your Relationship?

Edy Zoo
Rethink/Review
Published in
5 min readAug 6, 2024

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There’s a woman holding up a mask. It’s night and shes sitting on the pavement while leaning against a railing.
Photo by Denise Jans on Unsplash

Non-communication patterns can wreak havoc on relationships, leading to misunderstandings, resentment, and, eventually, the breakdown of trust and connection.

To begin with, non-communication isn’t just about silence. It includes passive-aggressive behavior, emotional withdrawal, stonewalling, and avoiding conflict.

These behaviors can be as damaging as outright arguments, if not more so. When individuals fail to express their thoughts and feelings, they create a barrier that prevents genuine connection.

Initially, avoiding communication might seem like a way to keep the peace. People might think that staying silent or avoiding difficult conversations maintains harmony.

Yet, this peace is superficial and temporary. Unspoken issues eventually build up, leading to larger and more explosive confrontations.

For instance, research shows that 65% of divorces are due to communication problems, highlighting how crucial effective communication is for relationship longevity.

If one partner continually avoids discussing their dissatisfaction, the other may sense something is wrong but not understand what it is. Consequently, the relationship becomes strained as unaddressed issues grow, causing frustration and confusion.

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Edy Zoo
Rethink/Review

Edy Zoo is a social critic, theologian, and philosopher who writes about social subjects.