THE DEAFENING BRUTALITY OF THE NARCISSIST’S SILENT TREATMENT by KIM SAEED

"Psychologists consider the silent treatment a form of abuse.  It’s a popular form of mental torture used by Narcissists, whereby they cut their victims off by not talking to them for extended periods of time. Sometimes days or weeks, which keeps the victim in a constant state of fight-or-flight, during which they feel isolated and rejected, as well as physically sick.  The body’s physical reactions to this mental anguish are real. Headaches, stomachaches, and a general punched-in the-gut feeling
The Narcissist uses silent treatment as an aggressive measure of control and punishment for something his or her partner did; a sadistic form of “time-out”, ostracizing the victim as motivation for them to behave.  It is the ultimate form of devaluation, causing its target to feel voiceless, alone, dismissed, negated as a person; invisible.  The detrimental effects of this type of abuse include:

Emotional: Since it is a form of social rejection; it provokes a mix of negative emotions including: Frustration, intense anger, and eventually, resignation and despair.

Psychological: Low self-esteem, a sense of loss and not belonging, increased stress and loss of control.

Behavioral: The constant fear of receiving the silent treatment casts a shadow of uncertainty in your life, you begin to second-guess yourself: Am I doing the right thing? Am I saying the right words? You try hard to avoid it, which changes you onto a person that is no longer YOU.

Examples of the Silent Treatment:

You point out that something they did was unacceptable (i.e., cheating, lying) and the Narcissist leaves and stays gone for a week.  Then, comes back to your door as though nothing ever happened.
The two of you exchange text messages regarding an important issue.  The Narc texts “Bye” and you don’t hear from them again for five days.  Or, they say they’ll come over then never show up, nor explain their absence afterwards.
You sit down beside the Narcissist to talk about something that’s bothering you and they proceed to read the newspaper.
You ask the Narc a question, and they carry on as if they didn’t hear you, even if you repeat the question a second or third time.
The two of you get into an argument.  The Narc packs their suitcase and stays gone for a month with no attempt to contact you and ignores any texts you may send them."

See more @ Kim Saeed @ Let Me Reach