12 Psychological Effects Of Being Ignored By Someone You Love

Many people have learned the psychological effects of being ignored by someone they love through experience. It’s not that they did something terrible and deserved the silent treatment. They probably have normal arguments like all people. But for some reason, instead of resolving their issue, one or more of the people ignore the other.

A person might block and delete you from social media or not return your texts or calls. And this can make you lose your mind. It could last for a couple of days or even more. You have no idea what’s going on, so you just have to wait it out frantic.

What you need to know is that this is manipulation.

Yes, taking some time apart is good and healthy, but not when your partner purposely ignores you without reason. What many people don’t realize is that they are probably being “punished” by the other person.

# It causes emotional trauma

When ignored, you experience a wide range of emotions. One minute you’re angry, the next minute you’re sad. And this rollercoaster of emotions continues to happen until the person contacts you.

Victims of this form of abuse will feel rejection and all sorts of other negative emotions. Having those feelings inside of you, and when they’re forced upon you by someone you love, you’ll feel unworthy and unloved. This is when you become emotionally traumatized.

# Physical side-effects

When we’re under stress, emotional stress is just one of the psychological effects of being ignored by someone you love. Our brains detect and measure different levels of pain. When we’re being ignored, our anterior cingulate cortex is activated, telling your body that you’re in physical pain.

The physical side effects can range from headaches to nausea to anxiety. Depending on the level of stress you’re experiencing, the side effects will vary.

# Psychological stress

This is a big one. The silent treatment does more than just make you feel sad. Most of the time, the silent treatment is used as a manipulation tool. It creates a rollercoaster of emotions in you. You question yourself, your self-worth, and your self-esteem.

Add the psychological stress, and you’re feeling out of control. If the silent treatment continues, again and again, it’ll leave permanent damage.

# Behavioral changes

When someone ignores you, instead of looking at them, you start to question yourself. What did I do wrong? Is there something wrong with me? What should I do to stop this from happening? These questions are common during the silent treatment.

You start to behave in ways that aren’t normal. You second-guess yourself and doubt your own thoughts and actions. This is when you start to act differently as you feel guilty and out of control. And this gives an opening for the other person to manipulate you.

# Leads to physical violence

When someone emotionally abuses you, it increases the chances of them physically abusing you. Though you may not think it could happen to you, if you continue to spend time with this person, it will happen.

In relationships, 95% of men who physically abuse their partner also psychologically abuse them. This isn’t going to magically become better one day, this person is toxic.

# Promotes narcissistic behavior

Now, this behavior isn’t in you. It’s in the other person. When someone feels that they have control over another person, it promotes narcissistic behavior. And if they have no problem giving you the silent treatment, then they probably are already narcissistic.

Knowing they can continue to ignore you and get what they want only fuels them. Narcissists love to manipulate and control the people around them, and they’ll use whichever tactic that works.

# Destroys relationships

When ignored by someone, it’s often due to a lack of communication. This person will ignore or distance themselves from you instead of communicating with you. When this happens, it causes a rift in the relationship.

There’s an issue stuck in the middle, but no one talks about it. Instead, everyone waits to see what will happen next. During this time, feelings of intimacy and trust decrease. Eventually, the relationship deteriorates.

# Affects the autoimmune system

Who would have thought the silent treatment could be this harmful? Well, it impacts the entire body. The autoimmune system is affected by the silent treatment due to high-stress levels.

One of the big psychological effects of being ignored by someone you love is intense stress. When the body is stressed, it’s inflamed, which can lead to more health issues and conditions.

# Lowers your self-esteem

Being ignored by someone you care for is sometimes even worse than being yelled at or another type of expression of anger. The reason for that is because it makes people feel “invisible.” At least when someone is engaging with you – even if it’s negative – they are acknowledging your presence.

But when you are being ignored, it really takes a toll on your self-esteem. You think that the person doesn’t even care enough about you to talk to you. Then, you think you are worthless.

# Anxiety

When you are being ignored, it makes people anxious. There are so many thoughts running through someone’s head. Why are they ignoring me? What did I do? What should I do now?

When someone is ruminating all these questions in their head, they are very anxious. They don’t know how to fix the problem, which leads to free-floating anxiety.

# Depression

Even if the person is ignoring you for a short period of time, it can make you sad and unhappy. You probably like the person’s presence in your life, so you’re grieving their disappearance.

If the person ignores you for a long period of time, then it can turn into full-blown depression. This is a form of emotional abuse, and if they won’t acknowledge you, then you will feel depressed unless you take measures to avoid that.

# Become a people-pleaser

Because you are so afraid of the silent treatment, another one of the psychological effects of being ignored by someone you love is that you will become a people-pleaser. You want to do anything and everything to avoid this happening.

So, you will do anything the person wants you to do. And not just for the person who is ignoring you – but for anyone. It can carry on into all of your relationships if you’re not careful.