When No One Seems to Listen (aka Talking to Walls ): Reclaiming Your Voice When You Feel Ignored

By Ashley A. Renea, DNP, MEd/MSN, PMHNP-BC

Have you ever opened up to someone—hoping for comfort, or at least a “Dang, that sucks”—only to be met with a blank stare? Or worse, they respond with, “Anyway…” and switch topics like you didn’t just share something deeply personal?

What about sending a vulnerable text—sad, frustrated, maybe a little spicy—and getting left on read? Or dropping something raw into the group chat, and everyone suddenly forgets how to use words?

Yeah. That.

It’s a lonely feeling. Like emotional ghosting.

As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I talk to people every week who feel completely dismissed by the people they love most. And honestly? Same. I’ve been there more times than I care to count. Friends who vanish the moment things get real. Family members who meet your emotional breakdown with... vibes and vague nods. After a while, you start to think, “Why even bother saying anything at all?”

Sometimes we shut down. Not because we don’t want connection, —but because we’re exhausted from not being heard.

But hear me when I say this: your voice still matters.


Why Feeling Ignored Feels Like a Punch in the Soul

Humans are wired to connect. When we open up and someone shrugs, changes the subject, or responds with a meme instead of empathy, it registers as rejection. And over time, those little “meh” moments can chip away at your confidence, your trust, and your desire to open up at all.

But the good news? You don’t need a perfectly emotionally available group chat to start healing. You just need some tools, a little self-compassion, and maybe a comfort snack or two.


Coping Skills for When You Feel Ignored

Also known as: How to Stay Sane When People Act Like You’re on Mute

1. Journal Without a Filter
Let it rip. Say all the things—petty, sad, unhinged, whatever. Journaling is like venting to someone who never interrupts and always agrees with you.

2. Make a Mood Playlist
Whether it’s "sad girl autumn" or "I’m the problem, it’s me" energy—let the music hold you. Bonus points for dancing dramatically in your kitchen like you're in a breakup montage.

3. Take a Walk (No Destination Required)
No plan, just vibes. Walking clears your mind and gets you out of your own head. Especially helpful if you’ve been replaying that ignored text for the 17th time.

4. Create a Comfort Nook
Blanket? Check. Fuzzy socks? Check. A mug of something warm and a space where no one can emotionally invalidate you? Checkmate.

5. Use Your Hands (No, Not for Punching)
Bake, paint, plant something, fold laundry to a true crime podcast. Give your brain a break and your hands a job.

6. Write Letters You’ll Never Send
Tell them exactly how you feel. Go full Shakespeare if you want. Then rip it up. Or save it for your future memoir. Either way—it’s for you.

7. Be the Safe Person You Need
Say kind things to yourself. Even out loud. Start with:

• "I see you, and this is valid."
• "You're not crazy—you're just surrounded by people who don't know how to process feelings."
• "Weird how I’m the emotionally intelligent one in this family."

8. Talk to Someone Who Actually Listens
Like a therapist, a coach, or someone who doesn’t respond to your pain with toxic positivity. If someone hits you with a “but everything happens for a reason”… run.


Feeling Strong—Even in the Silence
Sometimes strength looks like walking away from conversations that make you feel small.

Sometimes it looks like texting your group chat a meme instead of your soul.

Sometimes, it's just sitting with your feelings and saying, “This hurts. But I’m not going to let it swallow me.”

Softness can be strength. Silence can be powerful. And boundaries? They’re sacred.


Final Thoughts

If you’ve stopped sharing your feelings because people keep dropping the emotional ball, —you’re not broken. You’re protecting your peace.

But your voice? It still matters.

Maybe not for them, but definitely for you.

Speak to yourself the way you wish others would. Create space where you’re seen—even if that space is just your journal, your playlist, your therapist’s office, or your bathroom mirror.

There are people out there who will listen. And until you find them, let you be the one who does.

Because your feelings are real, your. Your pain is valid. And you are worth hearing—always.


Need support?

If you're tired of feeling ignored, dismissed, or emotionally ghosted, I’m here.

You deserve to be heard by someone who truly listens.

Reach out now here or call 808-214-9433.