Being ghosted is one of the worst things that can happen to you when you’re looking for love.
It’s so awful because you very rarely see it coming. And it can happen to anyone. Sometimes it will happen after some tell-tale signs were there, but you just didn’t pick up the hints.
Other times it can just happen out of the blue, and you had no idea your fledgling relationship would end this way.
To stop it from happening in the future, or at least to better prepare yourself for it, you need to be able to recognize that you are, in fact, being ghosted in the first place!
What is ‘ghosting?’
Here’s a definition of ghosting, so you know exactly what we’re talking about in this post:
“The act or practice of abruptly cutting off all contact with someone [such as a former romantic partner] by no longer accepting or responding to phone calls, instant messages, etc.”
Sound familiar? Let’s look at eight signs that you’re being ghosted.
- You always initiate the conversation
If your conversations are becoming one-way, it might be a sign that things are about to end. In the early days of your communications, you couldn’t get enough of one another.
But now, he only ever talks to you if you initiate the conversation first. And when he responds, his answers are usually short and give the impression that he’s busy doing something else.
This could eventually lead to them ignoring you entirely and might be their way of saying they’re no longer interested in talking to you.
- Your chats are no longer fun
When you’re in the early stages of a relationship, the banter is constantly flowing, and you’re having lots of fun finding out more about one another. However, if he’s ghosting you, your chats can feel forced and boring.
You might be putting in lots of effort and trying to be as positive as possible, only to receive bland and uninterested responses in return.
This is a red flag and something to watch out for, as it’s clear that he’s no longer interested in having fun with you.
- He starts backing out of plans
When he begins to lose interest in you, he will start backing out of plans that you’ve made together. At the start, he will come up with some lame excuses to keep face, but eventually, he will stop trying.
Eventually, he will stop agreeing to plans altogether, and your relationship could be pretty one-dimensional until it comes crashing to an end.
If you sense reticence when it comes to making future plans, he might be getting prepared to ghost you.
- You’re no longer connected on social media
This is a sly dig that often hurts enormously, but it’s a big part of the whole ghosting process. If you became friends on social media when you first started dating, he might have unfollowed or unfriended you.
You might think this is a low blow, but it’s so common. If he’s moved onto someone else or doesn’t want you as a part of his life anymore, he will quickly remove you from his social media feeds.
While it’s horrible to see, if you’re no longer connected on social media, it could be time to call it a day and move on.
- He doesn’t bother checking in anymore
An important part of any relationship is checking in on your partner. Small things like asking how your day was and what you’re up to in the evening are signs that your partner is still interested in your life.
If he’s not even bothering to check on you, it’s a sign that his mind is elsewhere, and he’s just not that into you anymore.
- He seems absent on your dates
When you do meet up, his mind seems preoccupied. Maybe he spends half of the time on his phone, or perhaps he’s just idly staring out the window waiting for the time to pass.
When you confront him, he’ll say everything is fine or that he had a bad day at work, but really he just wishes he was elsewhere.
Granted, we’re all allowed a bad day once in a while, but if he’s absent whenever you meet up, it’s time to move on.
- The sex stops or lacks passion
When you first started going out, you couldn’t keep your hands off one another. Now, the sex has stopped, or if it does happen, it feels like he’s just going through the motions.
If the spark has gone from your sex life, his mind is probably elsewhere. You shouldn’t give him the satisfaction of having sex if you don’t feel like he’s invested in it.
- You have no idea where he is or what he’s doing
Loving couples are great at communicating with one another and regularly update each other. If you’re about to be ghosted, he has no interest in telling you where he is or what he’s doing.
He might have even left the country for work or a weekend away with his mates, and you had absolutely no idea that he wasn’t at home.
If he’s living his own life, he’s getting ready to ghost you.
Closing thoughts
Being ghosted sucks; there’s no getting away from it. And it happens a lot.
However, to make sure you’re prepared for it and to ensure it doesn’t ruin your life when it happens, you need to look out for the signs that it’s about to happen.
Read this guide to learn what to do when someone ignores your texts.
That way, you can step in and take action before he ghosts you, so you at least have peace of mind and retain some control over the situation.
