Ghosting can be a painful experience. It can leave you feeling frustrated, confused and wondering what happened.
The good news is that you can still make sense of it. All you need to do is be a little proactive about how you respond to someone who ghosted you.
1. Ask for a reason
There are several reasons that someone might ghost you. One reason is that they don’t want to hurt your feelings by telling you that they don’t think the relationship will work out.
Another reason is that they want to avoid the awkwardness of a face-to-face encounter. They also want to avoid the possibility that they might be tempted to try and change your mind about their actions later on down the line.
Whatever the case may be, you should ask them why they ghosted you. This will help you understand their reasoning better and make it easier for you to tell them how you feel.
2. Tell them how you feel
If you feel like you need to respond to the ghoster, there are a few things you can do. First, talk to someone you trust about the situation.
You can also take some time to think about your feelings. It can help you decide whether or not you want to follow up with them, according to Laura Yates, a dating coach.
You can also try to figure out why they ghosted you in the first place. That will give you an idea of whether they are being honest or not.
3. Tell them you’re not interested
Sometimes it can be hard to know how to respond to someone who ghosted you. If you’re not sure what to say, it’s important to take a step back and think carefully about why you aren’t interested in the relationship.
It can be tempting to try and make the situation better, but if you want to avoid hurting them, it’s best to be honest with them from the get-go. That way, you can be a strong person and set a good example for them.
4. Tell them you’re busy
Ghosting can be a painful experience. You may feel rejected, ignored or even angry.
But, it’s important to remember that ghosting isn’t a reflection on you and doesn’t make you worthless.
Instead, it’s a reflection on the person who ghosted you and the reasons they didn’t want to be in a relationship with you.
If you’ve been ghosted, it’s okay to tell them that you are busy and don’t have time for a relationship right now. This will give them a chance to think about the reason they ghosted you before coming back again.
5. Tell them you don’t need them
Despite how much you might want to get back in touch with them, it’s best to ignore the ghoster and not try to communicate any further. That way, you’ll be able to protect yourself and your future relationship.
However, if you don’t want to do that, there are still some ways you can respond. Dating and relationship therapist Anita Chlipala, LMFT, recommends writing a text that makes it clear you no longer need them in your life.
6. Tell them you’re not ready for a relationship
There are a few reasons why someone might ghost you. They could have had a breakup, they got scared of commitment, or they just didn’t feel as into you as you thought.
However, it’s important to decide whether you think their excuse is legitimate or a pile of junk. Getting an answer to this question can help you determine how you should respond to their actions, says relationship coach Claire AH.
If you decide you don’t want to give them a second chance, texting them is an effective way to let them know that you’re done with them. But be sure to keep it light, says dating and relationship therapist Anita Chlipala, LMFT.
7. Tell them you’re not available
Sometimes ghosting occurs because someone has a busy life and doesn’t have time to talk to you. If this is the case, it’s important to ask them why they decided to ghost you.
This can be a tough question to answer, but it’s one that needs to be asked. It’s important to ask them this because it will give you some context about why they ghosted you in the first place.