The silent treatment is used often by a mate because they do not want to get into an argument as it only fuels the fire. However continuously being silent does not resolve the problem either and the person who remains silent has options of either leaving that person; getting psychiatric help to deal with the situation. 'The silent treatment' can be misused because some abusive mates will use this to intimidate their other half. As with many other things in life the 'silent treatment' from another person in a bad relationship is often misunderstood.
