Is the "Silent Treatment" a Case of Emotional Abuse?
The silent treatment, also known as the "cold shoulder treatment," consists of feigned apathy, total silence, and being distant on purpose. One person displays an attitude of complete disinterest for the spouse, as if the other person would be a complete stranger. This form of emotional abuse can be very disorienting. Being ignored on purpose by your husband, your most intimate ally, crumbles your whole being. The experience can leave you thinking that you have been reduced to the level of a ghost, if your presence is systematically ignored and turned irrelevant. Typically, the abuser does this as a form of non-physical punishment, with the purpose of showing his anger by making you feel less worthy, not valued, unimportant, and not cared about. Is a very strong negative message delivered in a way that doesn't leave external traces: there are no signal of physical abuse. Between the lines, what your abuser is trying to do is to manipulate you in the area ...
