The Silent Treatment: How Covert Narcissists Drain Your Energy
Covert narcissism is a subtler form of narcissistic behavior that can be more difficult to identify than the overt, grandiose variety. While overt narcissists actively seek admiration and attention, covert narcissists often present as humble, introverted, or self-effacing. However, behind this seemingly modest exterior is a profound need for control, validation, and emotional manipulation.
One of the most insidious tactics a covert narcissist uses is the silent treatment. It is a powerful tool to control as well as provoke emotional reactions. What many people fail to recognize, however, is that this behavior doesn’t only affect the emotional or psychological state of the victim. It also significantly impacts their energy field and chakra system, leading to a loss of self and energetic depletion.
What is the Silent Treatment in Narcissistic Relationships?
The silent treatment involves the deliberate act of ignoring, avoiding, or refusing to communicate with someone, often in response to a perceived slight or conflict. While the silent treatment can sometimes arise in healthy relationships as a temporary pause for reflection, when used by a covert narcissist, it’s a strategic tactic aimed at emotional manipulation.
This tactic is more than just an emotional weapon, it is an energetic attack that creates a blockage in the recipient's energy system. When a covert narcissist withdraws communication, they not only create emotional confusion but disrupt the flow of energy between themselves and the victim. This silence pulls the victim’s energy inward, often leaving them feeling drained, empty, and energetically disconnected.
Why Covert Narcissists Use the Silent Treatment
To Punish or Control
Covert narcissists use the silent treatment as a method of punishment and control. By withdrawing communication, they create a sense of emotional powerlessness in the victim. This form of emotional manipulation is designed to assert dominance, leaving the victim feeling guilty or anxious about what they might have done wrong. On an energetic level, this creates an energetic void, where the victim's energy is depleted and their sense of self becomes diminished.To Manipulate Emotions and Energy
Covert narcissists feed off of emotional reactions, and the silent treatment is a prime way to elicit strong feelings of confusion, guilt, and even desperation. From an energy perspective, this withdrawal causes a disruption in the natural flow of energy. The recipient may feel energetically drained or “off,” as the energetic exchange between two people is cut off. This disconnection can lead to a blockage in the recipient’s heart chakra or solar plexus chakra, where feelings of rejection and guilt are stored.To Avoid Accountability
Instead of facing responsibility for their behavior, a covert narcissist uses silence as a defense mechanism. This avoidance of accountability creates an emotional and energetic disconnection. When the narcissist refuses to engage, it perpetuates a sense of isolation in the victim, which can cause energy stagnation or loss in the root chakra, leading to insecurity or feelings of being “unseen.”To Maintain Power and Control Over Energy
The covert narcissist derives power from withholding energy. They have mastered the art of emotional and energetic control. By creating a power imbalance through silence, the narcissist controls the emotional energy of the relationship, and the victim is left to constantly seek approval, inadvertently giving away their energy in an attempt to regain the narcissist’s attention. This is an energy drain that often affects the throat chakra (communication) and solar plexus chakra (self-esteem), leaving the victim feeling powerless and voiceless.
How the Silent Treatment Affects Your Energy and Chakras
The silent treatment is not just emotionally and psychologically damaging, it disrupts the energetic body. Here’s how it can affect the chakra system:
Root Chakra (Safety and Security)
When you’re being subjected to the silent treatment, it creates a sense of emotional instability. The root chakra, responsible for our sense of security and connection to the physical world, can become blocked. You might feel unseen or insecure, unable to ground yourself in your truth.Heart Chakra (Love and Compassion)
The heart chakra governs love, compassion, and connection. A sudden emotional withdrawal can cause it to feel closed off. The silent treatment from a covert narcissist can leave you feeling rejected, creating emotional stagnation in this area. Over time, this may lead to a feeling of emotional emptiness, as if your ability to give and receive love has been drained.Solar Plexus Chakra (Personal Power)
The solar plexus chakra is your center of personal power and confidence. When a covert narcissist uses silence as a form of punishment, your sense of power and control is undermined. This causes confusion, low self-esteem, and an internal struggle that can deplete your energy and vitality. It can lead to feelings of self-doubt or powerlessness.Throat Chakra (Communication)
Your throat chakra is the center of communication, expression, and truth. The silent treatment prevents honest communication, stifling your ability to express yourself and be heard. This may manifest as feeling blocked or unable to speak your truth, leading to frustration or internalized anger. Over time, this can create an energetic block in the throat area, making it harder to communicate authentically.
How to Heal from the Silent Treatment: An Energy Healer’s Approach
Acknowledge the Emotional Impact
The first step in healing from the silent treatment is to acknowledge its emotional and energetic impact. Recognize that the withdrawal of communication is an energetic manipulation, and give yourself permission to process the emotions that arise. Don’t internalize their silence as a reflection of your worth.Clear Energetic Blocks
As an energy healer, I recommend focusing on clearing any energetic blocks within the affected chakras. A great place to begin is by working on the root chakra. Grounding exercises, such as deep breathing, walking barefoot on natural surfaces, or visualizing roots extending from your body into the Earth, can help reset your energy. By grounding yourself, you allow the energy to flow more freely, helping to restore balance and remove stagnant energy caused by the silent treatment.Set Boundaries and Protect Your Energy
Create firm energetic boundaries with the narcissist. Consider using shielding techniques to protect your energy field. One powerful method is imagining a protective light surrounding your body, preventing the narcissist's manipulation from affecting your energy.Reconnect with Your True Self
Reconnect with your inner wisdom and intuition. Regularly practicing self-care rituals like meditation and journaling, can help you reconnect to your higher self and regain your personal power. Remember, you are not responsible for the narcissist's behavior, and your energy is yours to protect and nurture.
Breaking Free from the Silent Treatment and Reclaiming Your Energy
The silent treatment is not just a form of emotional abuse, it is an energetic manipulation that disrupts your sense of self and drains your vitality. By recognizing the silent treatment as a tool used by covert narcissists to control and dominate, you can begin to protect your energy and reclaim your power.
As you heal from the energetic effects of the silent treatment, remember that your emotional well-being and personal power are yours to protect. Don’t let anyone take away your light, reclaim your energy, restore balance to your chakras, and move forward with clarity and confidence.
If you feel called to dive deeper into this healing process, I recommend scheduling an energy reading to explore your energetic blocks and gain further insights.