There’s this misconception that what happens online doesn’t matter because it’s not real but I beg to differ. Online behavior can have a significant effect on the lives of people in reality. None of us are strangers to the concept of being blocked but does it hurt to get blocked?
Yes, it does hurt to get blocked because it can cause feelings of shock, rejection, betrayal, abandonment and an overall sense of distress with anxiety. This is dependent on whether or not a person has any investment or interest in the person who blocked them.
As long as you had any expectation that they wouldn’t block you or that they’d be a part of your life, then getting blocked hurts.
Granted, most of the time people block each other after some issues or problems have created a rift between them.
However, we live in a time when people ghost each other.
You could be completely oblivious to what the other person is planning to do until they do.
For all you know, the interaction or courtship is moving along just fine and then suddenly you’re blocked without any explanation.
This will be hurtful and jarring to absolutely anyone but this is the time and society that we live in and the only way to deal with this is to adapt and overcome.
Be that as it may, I think it’s imperative that we discuss in detail the effects of getting blocked on your mind and heart as well as why it hurts to get blocked.
Related post: When should you block someone?
1. It feels shocking
I’ve noticed that getting blocked is like one of those things that you are aware could happen and may even anticipate it but when it happens, you can’t escape the feeling of shock.
There’s a part of you, either significant or small, that refuses to accept or believe completely that you’ll get blocked.
If you care about the other person and share some history with them, the sentimental part of you prevents the full anticipation of being blocked.
Also, hope is something that can override any amount of mental preparation regarding something you perceive as bad from happening.
The shock of being blocked adds to the pain you experience because it indicates a sense of hope that subsisted the entire time.
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Imagine the feeling of shock and confusion experienced by someone who had absolutely no idea that they were going to get blocked.
It would completely take them aback because they didn’t even have any time to prepare for it at all.
To them, it’s like a sudden loss that can be very overwhelming and hurtful.
Related post: Why did my ex block me out of nowhere?
2. It feels like you’re being rejected
For a long time, I tried to convince myself that being blocked wasn’t a form of rejection but when examining the feelings afterwards, as well as the consensus out there, I’ve changed my stance.
Being blocked feels like a form of rejection even if it has absolutely nothing to do with who you are as a person.
As long as you had some interest or investment in the relationship, friendship or whatever, you can’t help but experience a sense of denial and rejection after being blocked.
Even a couple who has broken up and has no hope of reconciliation would agree that the party who has been blocked feels rejected by the other party.
3. It feels like you’re being abandoned
When I think back to a time I was blocked, there was a sense of abandonment by someone I wanted to be in my life.
Most relationships and friendships are built on trust.
This trust extends to the expectation that you’ll try to be in each other’s life.
And then there are promises made between each other to prioritize the relationship or friendship and to always be present.
When you’re blocked, it hurts because all those promises and expectations of remaining connected to each other are broken.
It’s only natural to feel abandoned by someone who was a party to those expectations and promises.
We could even go so far as to say that getting blocked can feel like a betrayal in it’s own right.
Related post: Why your ex blocked you
4. It hurts your self esteem
As much as I can harp that being blocked isn’t necessarily personal, we humans are wired or programmed over time to measure our self worth based on the level of acceptance or rejection of those people we perceive to be of value.
Whether they block you for a justifiable reason or not, you may find yourself wondering why you were included or isolated in their line of fire.
When we sit with the hurt and thoughts surrounding the situation of being blocked, our minds try to rationalize and solve the mystery of why it happened.
Most of the time, people block each other without even the courtesy of explaining why or saying goodbye.
There’s no closure and our brain desires that more so than anything in this situation.
So, it latches onto an explanation that our mind throws at it.
Unfortunately, our insecurities and anxiety can shove this idea that we were blocked because there’s something wrong with us or we’re lacking in some way.
We run with this narrative and it hurts us deeply, possibly causing long term damage that requires a lot of work to resolve.
5. It can cause distress and panic
Typically, when something shocking, upsetting and unexplained occurs, our fight, flight or freeze response kicks in.
We feel like something dangerous or bad is taking place and we want to fix it or save ourselves from it.
Throw in thoughts of loss and the inability to ever get closure or an explanation for why you were blocked and you’ll go through a major phase of distress, panic and anxiety.
Imagine someone who has an anxiety attachment style like myself.
I’ve had to work on this but when it was at its worst, getting blocked triggered all of my anxiety and it felt like my world was spinning out of control.
I’d be literally and metaphorically pacing all over the place trying to calm myself down and figure out what to do.
Nobody is enjoying this experience.
It’s awful and it hurts to be in a state of anxiety and distress.
Unfortunately, that’s something which happens when you’re blocked without any explanation and you didn’t see it coming at all.
Related post: What should I do if he blocked me after an argument?
In conclusion
In the event that you have been blocked, I want you to know that it’s normal to be feeling hurt, shocked and confused.
Don’t beat yourself up over how you feel.
It’s completely natural to have these emotions after being blocked but I also want you to know that this is not a reflection of who you are.
We cannot control the actions of other people.
I think being blocked without an explanation is more a reflection of who they are and how they feel than a reflection of you.
There are instances when being blocked is the only end to a relationship. It went down a path that led to this moment.
Look at it as an opportunity to learn from this experience and grow rather than to develop more trust issues and insecurities.
With that being said, I hope you found this article on does it hurt to get blocked to be insightful and thought provoking. Feel free to leave your thoughts and questions in the comment section below.