15 Things That Happen When You Ignore an Emotionally Unavailable Man

Listen to this article

Being in a relationship with a man who isn’t emotionally available for you can be disheartening and frustrating and could even take a toll on your emotions.

Soon, you feel that no matter how much you try, you’re really not connecting on an emotional level. Often, you’re left feeling alone, isolated, and unhappy.

But what happens when you muster up the courage to ignore your partner? When you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, you can gain both positive and negative outcomes.

So, before you decide to try this tactic, let’s understand how to deal with an emotionally unavailable man.

What makes a man emotionally unavailable?

“Why can’t I get through him? Why is he like this?”

What could be the reasons a man could become so distant and unavailable for his partner?

There could be many factors a person becomes emotionally unavailable.

It could be from a traumatic childhood, poor parenting styles, depression, previous relationship trauma, and anxiety.

Some people choose to shut down to prevent getting hurt or being too vulnerable. Emotional unavailability, in some cases, can be resolved, but in others can be permanent.

Discovering that your man is emotionally unavailable could be tough, but it’s not a lost cost.

5 signs an emotionally unavailable man is in love with you

“Does he really love me?”

Have you ever felt you’re the only one putting up all the effort? You might even start to question your relationship and, in the process, ponder if your partner really loves you or not.

Here are 5 signs a broken man loves you.

1. He listens to you
2. He uses the term “we” and not “I”
3. He introduces you to his family
4. He gets physically close to you
5. He tries his best to change

Before you consider ignoring an emotionally unavailable man, it’s best to know the other ways he’s trying to prove and show you that he loves you. Read more about the signs that an emotionally unavailable man is in love with you.

15 things that happen when you ignore an emotionally unavailable man

It just happens. You just wake up one day and realize you’re tired of connecting with your partner.

“Will it always be like this?”

Then you realize that maybe when you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, he’ll realize what you mean to him and what he’s missing.

However, how familiar are you with the effects, good and bad, of walking away from an emotionally unavailable man?

Here are 15 things that happen when you decide to take action and learn how to ignore a guy who hurt you emotionally.

1. He’ll try not to care about it

Learning how to walk away from an emotionally unavailable man can be hard for you, but also for him. However, the difference is that he will try to show you it doesn’t bother him – at all.

He’s been prepared for this by being emotionally distant because he thinks this will happen, and once it does. He’ll remain distant and unbothered, at least outside.

Related Reading: 20 Signs He Doesn’t Care About You or the Relationship

2. He might choose not to show his “love”

We’re all hoping that when you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, he’d start making efforts and show his love to you to make up. But what if, instead of opening up, he chose to distance himself even more.

Again, we’ll go back to the cause of why he is emotionally unavailable and how feeling avoided by you may cause him not to show his love or make any efforts.

3. It could cause him to remember past hurts

One of the possible reasons why a man can turn emotionally unavailable is because of past hurts. When you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, there is a possibility that this could trigger an old trauma or hurt.

Instead of him opening up or realizing, he might feel you’re doing the same thing again. This is why it’s also important to understand what happened or what triggered him to be like this.

Related Reading: 15 Ways to Feel Better When Someone Hurts You

4. He could start ignoring you too

You might wonder, does no contact work on an emotionally unavailable man? This depends. The reaction will depend on your partner.

Some men can realize, while others choose to give you the same treatment you’re giving them. Others might not get the message you are trying to impart and would also treat you cold as a way to get back to you.

5. He could get angry

While some men might ignore you, others could lash out at you. These emotionally unavailable men also have deep resentment and aggression, and avoiding them could trigger this reaction.

It’s funny that giving him the same treatment he has been giving you could trigger his anger, but this is how it works for some men. They get angry thinking you’ve fooled and hurt him, not knowing what they did.

6. He could initiate reconciliation

If there is no contact with an emotionally unavailable man, this could make him realize that it hurts to be emotionally ignored. Once he has enough time to think about this situation, he could go to you and ask you to fix things.

Do emotionally unavailable men change?

They could, and sometimes, when you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, that’s when they realize their mistakes.

7. He’ll start to wonder if your love is still the same

When you are with an emotionally unavailable man, there will be times where you think he doesn’t really love you. As they say, love is effort.

So, when you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, this could also make him realize that you’ve changed. He may think that your love has changed, and he could then see where you’re coming from.

Related Reading: 15 Signs of True Love in a Long-Distance Relationship

8. He starts to realize that he’s missing you

“Does an emotionally unavailable man miss you?”

Definitely! However, since he’s been emotionally unavailable, he won’t try to make efforts to show how much he misses you.

Even if you’re ignoring him and he’s hurting, an emotionally unavailable man will continue to be “unavailable” because it’s his way of protecting himself. Most likely, just like before, you would be clueless about what he feels.

9. He starts to realize that he loves you so much

When you learn you can ignore him, then if you leave an emotionally unavailable man, this could lead him to realize that he was the one pushing you away.

This can make him want to finally open up to you and be the partner that he should have been many months or years ago.

What if an emotionally unavailable man comes back? Would you give him another chance?

10. You’ll realize that you can live without him

Sometimes, we want to learn how to ignore an emotionally unavailable man so they can realize our worth. However, in the process, we are the ones who realize that we can, in fact, live without them.

This is where you slowly see that your relationship isn’t going anywhere and you’re incompatible. You might soon realize it’s better to end your relationship for good.

11. He could give up without fighting

Choosing to ignore your emotionally unavailable partner is indeed a risk. You may think it’s the best course of action for him to realize that emotional connection is important, but what if he just gives up?

There are cases where an emotionally unavailable person just gives up. He won’t ask for an explanation or try to figure things out. 

Related Reading: How to Discuss Relationship Problems Without Fighting: 15 Tips

12. He could try and comprise

On the other hand, there are people who are emotionally unavailable who actually realize what happens and would try to work things out and compromise.

It’ll be hard for them to connect slowly, but since they know it’s the best decision to keep you and your relationship working, they will try their best.

13. He might want to seek help

This is also the start of him opening up about how his issues could be resolved. He may want to explore the option of relationship counseling.

However, you need to set proper expectations here. It wouldn’t be easy breaking off the shield he had built over the years but don’t forget to appreciate his efforts.

14. You’ll both start to move on

When you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, there’s a chance that you’ll miss each other, but since you’re trying to both ignore each other, then, as time passes by, you learn that you are already moving on from each other.

Choosing to ignore your emotionally unavailable partner is indeed a risk. Think about your unique situation and the things that could happen.

15. You’ll realize that you deserve more

When you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, you also have to know there is a greater chance that you’ll realize that you deserve more. That soon, after weeks of ignoring each other, waiting for the other to make the first move to reconcile, you’ll realize that you’ve had enough.

Related Reading: 20 Signs He Doesn’t Deserve You

How do you treat an emotionally unavailable man?

Where do you stand when you’re with an emotionally unavailable man? How to deal with an emotionally unavailable man?

These are just questions you have asked yourself many times before, but what can you do?

Remember that when treating an emotionally unavailable, you’d likely find it a challenging and complex process.

However, there are a few general tips that you can try:

1. Set clear and healthy boundaries

Don’t be all out on him. It’s still important to communicate your needs and learn how to set boundaries in your relationship. Make sure that you’re still comfortable with the rules and your setup.

Voice out what you want and what you expect from your relationship. Then if your partner refuses to hear you out, you may need to reevaluate the relationship.

2. Be patient

There could be a deeper cause for his emotional unavailability, so be patient with him. A lot of times, he might need space and time to do so. Give him the space when he needs it.

3. Don’t force change

You may think you can demand the change you want, but it doesn’t work like that. You’d end up pushing him away. 

Recognize that he has his own emotional baggage, issues, and trauma; as a partner, you need to help him overcome it.

Related Reading: 15 Signs You Are Forcing Yourself to Love Someone

4. Focus on yourself too

Be supportive and understanding, and be patient, but all of these can also take a toll on you. So, don’t forget to focus on yourself as well.

Have you ever felt that you’re torn and lost? Do you want to focus on self-love and self-worth but don’t know how to start?

Erica Pang, an Art Therapist specializing in shares how you can use art to reaffirm your self-worth.

5. Seek professional help

If all else fails, it’s time to convince your partner that seeking the help of a therapist or counselor can help. These professionals can provide you with additional guidance and support.

Related Reading: Benefits of Therapy: 10 Reasons Why Seeing a Therapist Can Improve Your Life

More about things that happen when you ignore emotionally unavailable men

Here are some of the most searched and asked questions about emotionally unavailable men and how to deal with them.

• What causes emotional unavailability?

Before you choose to give up or ignore an emotionally unavailable partner, you may need to check the root cause of your partner’s condition.

A variety of factors can cause emotional unavailability, including:

1. Mental health issues
2. Past relationship trauma
3. Attachment style
4. Societal or cultural influences
5. Childhood trauma

It’s important to know that emotional unavailability can be complex and may have been caused by multiple underlying causes.

• Can an emotionally unavailable man fall in love?

Absolutely! They are unable to express their emotions, but they still feel. This is why we need to know the importance of falling in love and being emotionally available are two different things.

However, even if an emotionally unavailable man falls in love, he could still feel the past trauma and struggle to open up emotionally.

Final thought

If you have been in a relationship with an emotionally unavailable man, and you realize that you’re not going anywhere, you need to put yourself first.

When you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, many things could happen, but it will be more beneficial for you than for him.

This is because you’re finally learning how to put yourself first. Then, if your man realizes and works hard for your relationship to work, then that’s also a win-win situation.

However, if you see that he’s not really going to change, then it’s time to know that you deserve so much more than this.