Humans, in general, are a pretty fractious bunch. Cynics could argue that our history as a species consists largely of finding new reasons to disagree with each other. Sometimes those disagreements are expressed in loud and painful arguments and sometimes as equally painful silences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being \u201cghosted\u201d by someone you\u2019ve been close to \u2014 a romantic partner, a friend, a family member \u2014 feels especially painful in the age of email and smartphones, when immediate real-time communication is the standard. Sometimes the other person just needs a bit of time to cool off and think things over (or thinks you do) and will answer your calls or messages eventually. Alternatively, they might outright block your number, which implies a stronger desire to be left alone. Here\u2019s how to know if someone blocked your number and some thoughts on what you can do about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first thing to remember when you\u2019re wondering if someone has chosen to not respond to your messages, is that it won\u2019t always be out of spite or even a conscious decision. People lose phones, break them and forget to charge them. Cellular coverage can be spotty. Cellular and internet providers have outages<\/a>, and app providers\u2019 servers are sometimes taken down by hackers, bad weather or software updates gone wrong. The phone might have been left in Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb mode, or the ringer might be turned off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n More importantly, people have lives that don\u2019t always revolve around you. Friends legitimately lose touch. Work gets crazy for a while. Someone in the family becomes gravely ill. Responding to your messages can easily take a back seat to those scenarios for a day or a week, or a month. You need to get in touch might even coincide with the other person deciding to do a \u201cdigital detox.<\/a>\u201d The bottom line? Unless you know there\u2019s a specific reason for the other person to break off contact, don\u2019t assume it\u2019s deliberate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That being said, sometimes the other person will<\/em> be avoiding you deliberately. If you\u2019re confident there aren\u2019t any extenuating circumstances, an extended period without any reply to your messages definitely becomes a message in itself. Also, if your phone call goes to voicemail after one ring or no rings<\/a>, that\u2019s often an indication you might be blocked. It\u2019s not a for-sure thing \u2014 it also happens if you try to reach them while they\u2019re on another call \u2014 but the more often it happens, the likelier it is that you\u2019re blocked. A message saying something like \u201cthis customer is unavailable\u201d may mean you\u2019ve been blocked through the cellular carrier<\/a> rather than the phone itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Calling the other person\u2019s number from a different phone is a simple way to check. They may not answer, especially if it\u2019s not a number they know, but if calls from other phones ring normally before going to voicemail, it\u2019s a sign that your number is treated differently. You can accomplish the same thing by using *67 to mask your number before dialing from your phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Text messages provide another way to check. If you\u2019re on an iPhone, send a message to the person you\u2019re trying to reach. If your message shows as \u201cdelivered,\u201d you\u2019re not blocked. If you had been, you\u2019d get no message or a \u201cmessage not delivered\u201d notification. If you use an Android, it\u2019s still worth a try, though differences between manufacturers mean this may or may not work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How you respond to this depends on the situation. Sometimes there\u2019s an inarguable need to get in touch. For example, with an estranged family member, you might need to make contact to settle an inheritance or have a difficult but necessary conversation about end-of-life care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you have a legitimate need to make contact, there are options. For example, in the above case, you might have a law firm reach out on your behalf. You might also turn to Spokeo\u2019s people search tools<\/a> to find alternative methods of making contact, such as other phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses. You could also search social media platforms or ask mutual acquaintances to pass along a message on your behalf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s always a chance \u2014 even when your reason for reaching out is indisputable \u2014 that these contact attempts will also be rebuffed. This is especially likely to occur after a blowup (between friends) or a breakup (between partners). If that should occur, it\u2019s time to do some soul searching. However badly you may wish to reestablish contact, it\u2019s clear the other person isn\u2019t ready yet to do that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The uncomfortable truth is that your desire to reconnect puts your former partner under no obligation to accommodate you. Despite the example of generations of romantic comedies, a breakup isn\u2019t always \u2014 or often \u2014 the prelude to a tearful reunion and happy-ever-after. Yes, some relationships can be healed, but many cannot or should not: It\u2019s possible, for example, that your crush was secretly married<\/a> all along or that your partner felt smothered by your trust issues.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every relationship is different, so no one answer applies to everyone. What is <\/em>certain is that there\u2019s a line that can (but shouldn\u2019t) be crossed: At a certain point, your persistence in trying to make contact can meet the legal definitions of stalking or harassment. Those are laid out in both state<\/a> and federal law<\/a>, and if you\u2019ve resolved not to take \u201cno\u201d for an answer, you might become unhappily acquainted with those statutes and their consequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a serious look at your own motivations or ask the opinion of someone who\u2019ll be bluntly honest. If it becomes clear that your desire to reconnect is rooted in your<\/em> needs, not your former partner\u2019s, it makes sense to address those needs. For some, that might mean getting over the hurt (and accepting your vulnerability) by dating again. A course of therapy might better serve others to help understand how their own needs and emotions affected the outcome of the relationship. Humans, in general, are a pretty fractious bunch. Cynics could argue that our history as a species consists largely of finding new reasons to disagree with each other. Sometimes those…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":25090,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[612],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides"],"yoast_head":"\nHow To Know If Someone Blocked Your Number<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Reaching Out After Being Blocked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Consider the State of the Relationship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Recall those posters and memes that say, \u201cIf you love something, let it go.\u201d When all is said and done, that might be the best advice of all. <\/p>\n\n\n\nReferences:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n