A marital relationship is a relationship between two people who share feelings of love, respect, and trust, and this relationship needs care and effort to maintain and develop it. It is normal for the two partners to have disagreements or misunderstandings that lead to problems, but the two parties in this case must talk to each other about this difference and try to resolve them and hear each other’s views to reach to meeting point to resolve any problem that occurs between them, and away from the practice of silent treatment or silence about disagreement in general.

What is Silent Treatment?

Silent treatment is a type of punishment applied to a particular person by not speaking to him or responding to his attempts to communicate for a specified period. It is sometimes used as a means of correcting bad behavior or damage caused by the partner, this causes significant problems between the two partners.

Silent treatment is a form of emotional abuse in which a person displays displeasure with the other side through non-verbal communication and simply silence rather than confrontation and trying to figure out the causes of disagreements.

Causes of silence treatment between partners:

silence treatment is used in many emotional and social relationships, and there are several reasons for practicing punitive silence, including:

1. It may be to attack and control the other person.
2. The inability to solve problems so ignored it and silent.
3. A way of expressing anger or discomfort with a particular behavior.
4. To manipulate the other person, make him feel of negligence and make him always want to court him. 

Signs that the partner is practicing silent treatment:

There are many ways to explain that this person practices punitive silence, including:

1. Pressure on the other party and annoyed him.
2. Make the other party feel guilty and negligent.
3. He talks to everyone except the one with whom the dispute occurred.
4. Doesn’t think about the feelings of the other party.
5. The duration of silence lasts for a long period of time, and ends it only when he decides.

How is narcissistic silence treatment handled?

If you’re dealing with someone who practices narcissistic silence treatment, you should know that this behavior is unhealthy or normal, and it can be difficult to deal with.

 Here are some tips that may help you deal with narcissistic silence treatment:

1. Deal calmly and objectively because the main goal of the person is to control you, so you have to maintain confidence in yourself, and deal calmly.
2. Try to contact the person and clarify your situation, use clear and direct language to get your message.
3. Avoid negative responses or escalate the situation to provoke the silent person to speak.
4. Self-defence in case of escalation and emotional abuse, by setting strict limits on acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
5. Don’t let a person control your life and your thinking, try to look for other things that interest you, and make you happy.

Effects of silence treatment on the marital relationship

silence treatment can lead to a deterioration in the couple’s relationship due to inappropriate contact and communication, such as:

1.Isolationism and lack of trust between the two partners, resulting in increased tension and psychological stress in the relationship.

2.Sexual dissatisfaction and deterioration of sexuality between partners, as sexual intercourse needs open communication and dialogue between partners.

3.Not feeling safe or emotionally stable.

4.It also affects a person who practice punitive silence by lacking emotional support and interest from the partner, affecting their psychological and emotional health.

If you have trouble with your partner about silence treatment, you can contact with Dr. Mona Reda, a psychiatrist and a sexual therapist