How to deal with friends or family members who ignore or avoid you

If you think they are manipulators, and show a pattern of giving people the cold shoulder, ignore them. Give them a big fake smile and act like they are not even bothering you. But don't make them the center of attention. That is what they want. Instead, smile and be polite, but avoid them! Now, if this is a person you really care about and doesn't normally act cold or distant, then you need to find out what is wrong and rectify the situation. Usually it is simply a communication problem.

Marie Dubuque is a life coach who loves to give advice on everything from dating dilemmas and tricky social situations to drama-filled friendships and romantic relationships gone south!

[cherisemcknight]

I don't care if my family avoid me eternally, I realized they're missing out on a great person. ME!!

[cloudie]

"Blood makes you related but LOYALTY makes you family." I refuse to waste my energy on anyone who serves no purpose in my life. Family or not💞

[michaeljasongaines]

If you do something to better yourself and they stop talking to you, It's called jealousy!

[rome]

My golden rule
Treat people how you want to be treated. If they ignore me then I will ignore them, after a while if I see no purpose in the relationship I will delete your number. Family is supposed to be a source of support a place where your able to express yourself and your ideas for a better quality life. Today everyone is suffering and nobody support anyone. Family Today don't have empathy, towards another family member, you get treated better by a coworker, then a family member.

[mustangmarie]

Family are your worst enemies! It's a (fact) Families of today act so fake and full of drama! This is my main reason i stay away and know God will replace good better people in my life! Families aren't your family anymore, But your worst enemies than your enemies!

[community]

Any sibling that ignores you or refuses to have anything to do with you over absolutely nothing is getting off on inflicting pain - it's done on purpose!!!! They know you care so they do it on purpose. It's diabolical - it's evil and anyone who acts like this is a psychopath - they have no feelings, no conscience, no morals.

[moderngaming]

I don't care if my family members or my cousins ignore me cause I got myself 😐

[MaryAllenjj]

My family has done that to me and I love giving them a dose of their own medicine and do it to them and I move on.

[SXable]

Some people just ignore you for no reason. I have had a couple of instances where for whatever reason, an individual or group of people ignore me for no reason. Either they do not find me interesting or heard some negative rumor about me, or something. I especially felt it post high school when all the people who I thought were friends suddenly stopped talking to me. Oh well, might as well just focus on people who I know genuinely like me.

[christianboy]

I'm at the point where I am about to give up on my siblings

[Google.Is.Skynet]

All my cousins are really good friends and always hang around each other. They all ignore me and make it clear i'm not really loved. They just don't like me. Me ignoring them would not affect them at all. I don't have much in common with any of them. I'm not an airhead and I don't care about mindless events but I'll join just for the friendship but I get the feeling my presence makes them uncomfortable. They just don't love me.

[skidmark]

I learned that when a person forms an opinion about you that there’s nothing you can say or do to change it. Block them out of your mind all together and move on with your life and never let your guard down. It hurts to be shunned and be treated like you’re subhuman. You can forgive a person but don’t you ever forget how it felt being snubbed by them.

[stevecash]

Awesome advice! My mother recently passed away and one of my three sisters went totally awol. I've tried so hard to support her, but she seems determined to push everyone away. I never said or did anything wrong to her, but she (my own sister who I was raised with and shared a bedroom) totally ditched me and blocked all contact. It hurts like hell, but I'm starting to learn that even this is common amongst most families. There's always one person in your family who will act illogically and without reason. It sucks, but it's true....

[DVSONE]

People don't like them selves let alone others.
Genuine interest and concern of each other in person is rare unless it benefits someone.
The Internet and social media has created this me me attitude where everyone thinks there staring in there own 24/7 movie.

[minkastar]

I only ignore people or create distance when people cause me great anxiety and I don't know how to address them because I don't want to hurt them but I don't want to live a pattern either. People think it's because I don't care but it's due to having a past with bullying and abuse, it has left me confused by negative behavior in relationships that cause me to freeze and say and do nada.

[valeriewolfset]

Thank you for confirming my gut feeling so I'll just move on and live my life with self respect and feeling no guilt for their choices of rejecting me for my choices.

[lyra]

The more they ignore me the less they exist.

[RickySutphin]

Thank you Marie. I had let myself get sad this week but feel better thanks to you. If you looked in at me from the outside you would never know I had a brother. I never receive calls, how are you notes, cards, or gifts from him or his family. I have never heard the words thank you or I love you come from him. I only get texts on bad news and money requests from him. I gave him a text this week to just leave me alone unless he had something good to tell me and for him to realise I am not a bank. This advice you gave made me feel lighter inside and like I can breathe again.

[McRemmyBaby]

I was such a happy soul, till I realized how horrible my entire life has been, starting since I can remember at 5yrs old

[rocketeer]

My daughter and I have been houseless for a few years now. My two adult children wouldn't lift a finger to help just a little and some of the friends I did tell, were verbally supportive but that's where it ended and a few even stopped speaking to me. In the past I let several of my friends stay at my home for free for a couple years and I was always there for my children. This has dramatically opened my eyes and made me realize sadly I have very few solid friends and no support from family. I will never trust these people ever again and will always have a grudge against them. I used to be so giving, but this situation has changed me and the way I see people.