اعترافات شخص يعاقب بالصمت Confessions of Someone Who Uses the Silent Treatment I’m the person who punishes with silence... and these are my confessions. « When I go silent... it’s not always because I’m calm. Sometimes... I use silence to gain control. » « I stay silent... so you’ll feel guilty... and start chasing after me. » « I stay silent... until you apologize... even when I’m the one who’s wrong. » « I stay silent... because confrontation scares me... and I don’t know how to talk about my feelings. » « And I stay silent... so I don’t have to take responsibility for my actions... because as long as I’m not talking... no one can confront me. » « I might disappear for hours... days... sometimes even weeks... without any explanation. » « You might call... text... ask where I am... and I’ll see it... but I won’t reply. » « I might leave the house... without telling you where I’m going... or when I’ll be back. » « And I might laugh and joke with everyone else... while treating you as if you don’t exist. » « You might think I’m taking space to calm down... but the truth is... I’m making you suffer in uncertainty. » »Why do I use the silent treatment? Because in those moments... it makes me feel like I’m the one with the power. And because this may be the only way I learned to deal with conflict growing up—that silence is stronger than words. » Oof... this one hurts. When you go silent... is it to calm yourself down? Or is it to hurt and punish someone else? If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of the silent treatment and need support, comment « SILENCE. » #coachmanalnaboulsi - @manalnaboulsi