Fighting my way out of the dark Part 5

[Accuray]

In the situations where you would stop talking to her and withdraw, why were you doing that?

What was the dynamic during the conversation, how would it end, and what was your goal in refusing to talk to her?

I have seen this dynamic play out where one partner is angry and wants to punish the other to the point of making them break down or getting an emotional reaction out of them.

If instead the person is emotionless or retreats, the antagonist can't get resolution and stays angry and resentful, which further drives the protagonist to continue the withdrawal.

If this describes your dynamic, it was actually your W who was the emotional abuser by pushing you beyond the point you were willing to engage. That's not respectful of your boundaries.

The other way this plays out is that one partner will come to the other with a very valid grievance, the other party will feel guilty and won't want to confront those feelings, and will just retreat and withdraw, and will then punish the other person with silent treatment in an attempt to train them not to confront them again.

In that scenario, the one withdrawing is acting inappropriately.

What was the pattern in your scenario?