UGH…being ghosted. With technology at the forefront of our lives and modern relationships, almost everyone has experienced it at some point. It can really be damaging to a person’s self esteem and their future relationships. Whether it’s with a potential significant other, or even someone you once considered a close friend, ghosting sucks and there’s really no way to sugar coat it, but there are ways to deal with it.
If you feel that you are potentially being ghosted, the first thing you should do is acknowledge your feelings. Yes, it hurts, but hiding it from yourself is only going to make it worse. When you have reached that point, talking to someone about it can make you feel a lot better. Letting your feelings out can be very healing.
Next, you need to recognize that it’s not you, it’s them. It may sound super cliche, but it’s true. Whoever is ghosting you is really missing out on an amazing person, and it’s their loss in the end. You should let the person know that you’re hurt, and that they’re doing something wrong. Just simply ask for them to be honest and upfront with you about where things are going. You don’t need to waste your time and energy watering flowers that will never grow.
On the other side of things, everyone has probably ghosted someone at some point in their lives. Sometimes it can be a mistake. We forget to respond because we’re really busy, or other times it’s intentional. If it’s intentional, a huge reason is often because a person is afraid to hurt someone else, but in real life, but we can’t live behind a screen.
Ask yourself how you would feel if you were the other person, and put yourself in their shoes. Lines can be extremely blurred with texting and social media, and ghosting is an example of how people should learn to communicate better. If we can learn to use these tools in our society to enhance our personal relationships effectively, then maybe we can stop the issue of ghosting.