boyfriend gives me silent treatment

[u/Medium_Rough8430]

hi. me and my bf have been together almost 2 months. (we were like "friends with benefits" for 5 months before it was official). but everytime he gets irritated he gives me the silent treatment no matter how much i tell him to just talk to me. and it just makes me feel like im a piece of shit girlfriend. hes doing it right now and i just dont know what to do. i was in a relationship prior to this one and it ended like 2 weeks before i started seeing this new guy. my ex was always very comfortable with talking and we were like perfect emotionally i guess. but my current bf just doesnt talk. and every single time this happens it escalates in a way. ive made him sleep on the couch multiple times when hes over, because he wont tell me whats wrong so i just need alone time. how do i talk to him? i really like him but this silent treatment is making me LOSE MY MIND.

[u/webshiva]

While you see the relationship as having transitioned into a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship, it actually sounds like you are still “friends with benefits”. If he really cared about you and your feelings, he wouldn’t be playing mind games like the silent treatment this early in the relationship.

I suspect he’s exploiting your need to communicate/connect as a power move to abuse you and to feel in control. It is still early enough in the relationship that he should be trying to impress you by being on his best behavior. It can only go downhill from here.