👻 GHOSTED. AND STILL CHECKING YOUR PHONE.

A 17-year-old college student, Aanya (name changed), sat across from me at my clinic.

“He texted me all day. Every single day for weeks. We FaceTimed, shared playlists, laughed for hours. Then one day… he just disappeared. No text. No closure. I was left reading old messages, trying to figure out what I did wrong.”

She hadn’t just lost a person.
She lost certainty.
She lost trust.
She lost herself — a little.

That’s ghosting.
And for teens and Gen Z, it’s not “just a part of dating.”
It’s a psychological wound.

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❓ What Is Ghosting, Really?

Ghosting is when someone suddenly cuts off all communication — with no warning, no explanation, no goodbye.

One minute you’re sharing memes…
The next, you’re blocked, ignored, and erased.

In digital terms, it’s a “silent unfollow.”
In emotional terms, it’s abandonment — with echoes.

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💔 Psychological Symptoms After Being Ghosted

• Intense anxiety or overthinking (“Did I say something wrong?”)
• Obsessively checking phone/messages
• Low self-esteem or feeling unworthy
• Emotional numbness or dissociation
• Sadness, crying spells, depressive mood
• Trouble focusing on studies, sleep, or social life
• Distrust in future relationships
• Feeling invisible or betrayed

For Gen Z, whose emotional identity is often tied to digital interactions, ghosting can hit like heartbreak, rejection, and confusion all rolled into one.

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🧬 Etiology: Why Does Ghosting Happen?

Let’s be honest — ghosting is easy.
There’s no confrontation. No awkward explanations.

The ghoster might:

• Feel overwhelmed or disinterested
• Be emotionally avoidant
• Not know how to communicate discomfort
• Think it’s kinder than confrontation (it’s not)
• Lack emotional maturity
• Be using digital apps in a hyper-casual way

But ghosting doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it’s a symptom of how digital culture is reshaping emotional connection.

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🌍 Epidemiology: How Common Is It?

• Studies show 60-78% of Gen Z individuals have experienced ghosting at least once.
• It’s more common in online-first relationships (social media, dating apps).
• Most ghosting happens in the early dating phase, but also in friendships.
• In India, where many teens and college students use social media to build first relationships, ghosting is rampant but rarely discussed openly.

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📜 History: From Dating Drama to Digital Epidemic

Ghosting isn’t new.
People have always disappeared after short-term flings.

But what’s changed is access and intensity.

Earlier, someone had to call or meet to end things.
Now? One tap and poof. Gone. Blocked.
No effort. No closure. No accountability.

And Gen Z, who grew up on likes and read receipts, often internalize this silence as “I’m not good enough.”

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🧠 Pathogenesis: What Happens in the Brain?

Ghosting activates the same brain areas as physical pain.
Yes — your brain treats emotional rejection like a punch.

It creates:

• A cortisol spike (stress hormone)
• Decrease in dopamine (pleasure)
• Increased rumination circuits in the default mode network

In teens, whose identity and emotional regulation systems are still developing, this can deeply impact:

• Self-worth
• Attachment style
• Future relationship trust

Ghosting doesn’t just confuse the heart.
It rewires the mind — subtly and powerfully.

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💬 A Teen’s Voice: Aanya’s Experience

Aanya spent weeks obsessing:

“He left without saying anything. I kept replaying the last call. Did I talk too much? Did he find someone better?”

Her academics dipped.
She stopped eating properly.
She cried every night — over someone who never said goodbye.

We worked through:

• Cognitive restructuring (“His silence is not my fault”)
• Social detox and real-life support building
• Journaling to express pain and process it
• Mindfulness to reconnect with herself
• Grief therapy, because ghosting is a form of loss

And slowly, she rebuilt herself.

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🧭 If You’ve Been Ghosted, Read This

You are not too much.
You are not unlovable.
And you deserve better than someone who disappears when it gets real.

Ghosting says everything about them.
Not you.

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📞 Call to Reach

Mind & Mood Clinic, Nagpur (India)
Dr. Rameez Shaikh, MD (Psychiatrist & Counsellor)
📱 +91-8208823738
🌐 www.hellomind.in

We offer compassionate mental health care for teens and Gen Z — especially in areas society still calls “too small to worry about.”

DISCLAIMER:

All names and patient details in this blog have been altered to protect identity and privacy. This blog is written purely for educational and awareness purposes. If you’re struggling emotionally due to relationship issues or ghosting, professional help is available.