How Stonewalling Can Negatively Impact Your Relationship?
At one point or another, we have all experienced the frustration of being turned away by our partners. Whether it’s about a certain disagreement that can’t be resolved or an event where tough conversations seem to flow, when your partner shuts down and keeps their distance, it can be disheartening. This phenomenon is known as stonewalling. Be it stonewalling in a relationship or with anyone you know, it can create misunderstandings and has damaging effects on a relationship.
In this blog, you will learn the depth of its impact and how to cope with such situations while protecting yourself in a meaningful way. So keep reading to understand what stonewalling is – why, when, and how people do this – as well as ways how to address these issues in order for both individuals involved to feel heard and valued despite all odds!
What Is Stonewalling?
Stonewalling is a form of defensive communication where one partner shuts down during an argument or discussion, refusing to engage or respond. It often takes the form of eye-rolling, silent treatment, or walking away. This behavior isn’t always intentional; some people may not even realize they are engaging in it. But it can be incredibly damaging and hurtful for the other person involved in the conversation.
Why Does Stonewalling in a Relationship Happen?
Everyone’s communication style is different and the way people communicate can have a profound effect on the health of their relationships. Unfortunately, such is the case with stonewalling in relationships – when a person refuses to express themselves emotionally, it can lead to devastating consequences.
There could be major reasons for it: fear of hurtful emotions like anger or sadness, avoiding conflict in order to maintain peace, feeling overwhelmed by everything going on and unable to engage in meaningful dialogue, lack of trust or respect for the other person, and having developed a habit to stonewall because that is how one was treated previously. Each of these reasons speaks volumes about how an individual feels within their relationship dynamic and without open communication stonewalling can become an entrenched pattern.
How Stonewalling Can Negatively Impact Your Relationship
While this behavior may seem harmless at the moment, it can have long-term effects on your relationship and can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and insecurity. Here are four ways that stonewalling can harm your relationship.
Lack of Understanding
When one partner begins stonewalling the other, it can easily lead to misunderstandings about what their partner is thinking and feeling. This lack of understanding can make it difficult for both partners to communicate effectively or even understand each other’s point of view. With both partners unable or unwilling to listen, it becomes easy for the conversation to quickly become one-sided and unproductive. As a result, both partners may feel unheard and misunderstood leading to more feelings of resentment and frustration.
Emotional Distance
When one partner withholds communication from the other, it creates an emotional distance between them that can be difficult to overcome. This lack of connection can leave both partners feeling unsupported and insecure in their relationship as they no longer feel connected enough to share their thoughts or emotions with each other openly. Without this connection, both partners may begin to detach from the relationship as a way to protect themselves from the emotional distance that has been created.
Insecurity
Stonewalling can cause one partner in the relationship to feel neglected or disrespected by their significant other’s lack of communication and understanding. This lack of respect often leads that person to start questioning their value in the relationship which can create feelings of insecurity.
Insecurity in relationships often leads people down a path where they doubt themselves and their ability to make lasting connections with others which further drives a wedge between them and their partner making it even more difficult for them to find common ground or understanding within their relationship.
Loss Of Trust & Respect
Suppose you have nice things to say to a girl or a boy but the person is stonewalling you. Well, without proper communication between two partners, trust and respect cannot be built over time which leads either partner feeling like they are not valued within the relationship anymore.
When this happens, people tend not turn away from one another instead of towards each other for support leaving them feeling disconnected from each other’s lives or lacking any real emotional bond between them at all anymore leading them towards a brokenheartedness that could have been avoided if open communication had been maintained throughout each stage within their relationship.
How to Handle Stonewalling in A Relationship
In order to handle stonewalling in a relationship, it’s important to understand what it looks like and how you can work through it. Here are 6 tips for coping with stonewalling in your relationship.
1. Identify the Problem
The first step to resolving any issue is identifying that there is a problem and understanding its underlying cause of it. It’s important to identify what is causing your partner to shut down and why they are not engaging in dialogue, as this will help you address the issue head-on.
2. Express Your Feelings
When faced with stonewalling, it can be easy to become frustrated and lash out in anger or sadness. Instead of responding negatively, try expressing your feelings in a calm and respectful way without blaming your partner or pointing fingers. This can be difficult but can help de-escalate the situation and open up dialogue between both parties.
3. Take Time Away
Taking time away from each other can be beneficial if you are both feeling overwhelmed or emotional during an argument or conversation. Taking a few minutes (or even hours) apart can help clear your head and allow you both time to think about what was said in order to approach the conversation again later on without heightened emotions.
4. Listen Carefully
Listening carefully is key for successful communication in any relationship, especially when faced with stonewalling behavior from your partner. Try not only listening for words but also observing body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc., as these all provide clues into how your partner is feeling which could help lead to better communication between both of you.
5. Validate Each Other
Validating each other’s feelings helps build trust between partners and allows them to feel heard and understood by one another even when they disagree or don’t see eye-to-eye on certain issues or topics of discussion. Validation also shows respect for each other’s opinions which can lead to more productive conversations going forward instead of shutting down completely when faced with disagreement or conflict.
6. Maintain Perspective
Lastly, remember that no two people are ever going to agree on everything all the time so it’s important not to take disagreements too personally and maintain perspective throughout any difficult conversations that arise within the relationship. Suppose if you love using a teen dating app, speak it. This will help keep arguments from spiraling out of control and allow for more effective resolutions when needed.
Some Last Words
In conclusion, stonewalling in a relationship can be destructive and extremely damaging at best. It can leave a partner feeling disregarded and unimportant, seemingly pushed to the sidelines of communication. If signs of stonewalling arise in a relationship, knowing how to effectively respond is important. That’s why it’s important to take the time to understand both partners’ perspectives and try to come up with solutions that satisfy both sides.
Sometimes when things are difficult, all that’s needed is for one person to agree to communicate their feelings more honestly which sets off a chain reaction of understanding in the entire relationship. Ultimately, the goal should always be to cultivate communication through compassion without defensiveness or criticism so that we can experience healthier relationships within our lives.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Q1. What is an example of stonewalling in a relationship?
Ans. Stonewalling occurs when one partner in the relationship shuts down communication with the other. Examples include refusing to answer questions, ignoring their partner, avoiding eye contact, and walking away from conversations. Other signs of stonewalling may include sarcasm or unresponsiveness during conversations as well as deliberate silences and refusal to engage in any form of communication.
Q2. How do you respond to a stonewalling partner?
Ans. When faced with a stonewalling partner, the best way to respond is by taking a step back and giving them some space. Remind them that you care about them and their feelings without trying to push them into communicating more than they’re comfortable with. If possible, try to suggest activities that help create positive energy between the two of you such as going for a walk or listening to music together.
In addition, make sure that both parties are getting enough alone time so that each person can work through their emotions without feeling overwhelmed by the other’s presence.
Q3. Can a relationship recover from stonewalling?
Ans. Yes, it is possible for a relationship to recover from stonewalling but only if both partners are willing to put in the effort needed to repair the damage caused by this dynamic. It’s important for each person to take responsibility for their own behavior while also making an effort to be understanding and patient with their partner during difficult conversations.
Try to find nice things to say to a guy or a girl so that conversation can be taken ahead. Additionally, both partners should be open and honest with each other about how they feel during times of stress or tension so that all issues can be addressed head-on rather than avoided altogether.
Q4. Is stonewalling manipulative?
Ans. Stonewalling can definitely be manipulative if one partner uses it as a way of controlling the other without considering their feelings or needs. It’s important for both partners in any relationship to remember that communication is vital and shutting down conversations isn’t going to solve anything long-term; instead, they should focus on finding ways of addressing issues constructively and empathically instead of resorting to manipulation tactics such as stonewalling.
