Sometimes it can feel like a friend, family member, roommate or significant other is avoiding or ignoring you. This is especially true when said loved ones aren’t hanging out with you, calling you or replying to texts as often as they usually tend to. This can make you jump to hasty conclusions and make you think they’re being a bad friend, they don’t love you, they don’t care about you, they no longer want to be a part of your life, maybe they want to break up or they’re just being plain rude. We’ve all been there. It sucks to be ignored by the people you care about and not see them or talk to them as frequently as you’d like, especially when you don’t know the cause behind this unprecedented behavior. While it’s true that your loved ones could be acting differently because they’re annoyed or angry, sometimes their behavior has nothing to do with you at all! It’s possible that you could be reading into the situation too much and wrongfully interpreting their behavior as ill intent towards you where there isn’t any present.
What you’re perceiving as all of these negative actions toward you, could just be your loved one going through a rough patch. When going through hard times or dealing with stressful situations some people tend to need space to process and pull away, they probably don’t mean to hurt your feelings. So, try your best not to make assumptions, jump to conclusions or take it personally because your loved one could be going through a challenging situation that you may not be aware of!
Some reasons they’re “avoiding you” could include:
- They’re dealing with a mental illness
- They’ve experienced a major loss
- They’ve experienced some type of shock or trauma
- They’ve gone through a big life transition and are struggling to cope
- They don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with anyone
- They’re overwhelmed with their responsibilities and work
- They’re overly stimulated and just need some alone time
- They’re experiencing financial difficulties
- They’re burned out and exhausted
- They need time to recharge
- They’re in a dark place
Sometimes when people withdraw, remember it’s not personal. They could be dealing with a multitude of things. On the contrary, they could even be pulling away as a way to protect you because they don’t want to burden you with their problems. So, the next time a loved one seems distant, don’t be so quick to jump to negative conclusions and keep in mind that your loved one could be going through a difficult time.
