Hey friends, Tina here.

Grab a coffee—or a glass of wine, I’m not judging—because we need to have a serious heart-to-heart about something that has been keeping me up at 2:00 AM lately. You know that specific, itchy feeling when you realize someone is actively avoiding you?

It’s that moment when you walk into a room and someone suddenly becomes deeply fascinated by their own shoes. Or when you see that “Seen” receipt on a text from three days ago, but you know for a fact they’ve been posting Instagram stories of their sourdough starter every hour on the hour.

Your first instinct? Internalized Panic. I usually spend the first forty-eight hours of being ghosted convinced that I accidentally committed a social felony. I’ll re-read our last five conversations like I’m an FBI profiler. Did I use too many exclamation points? Was my joke about the neighbor’s cat too edgy? Do I have bad breath through the phone? But lately, I’ve had a bit of a lightbulb moment. And honestly? It’s changed the way I look at my “missing” friends and ex-colleagues.

Here is the perspective shift: Sometimes when you’re being avoided by people, it’s because they feel shame and guilt over how they treated you.

We always assume people avoid us because they dislike us. But human psychology is way more messy and self-centered than that. Often, seeing your face (or your name in their inbox) acts like a giant neon sign pointing at their own mistakes.

Imagine this: Someone promised to help you with a project and flaked. Or maybe they said something hurtful in a moment of stress. Instead of doing the adult thing—apologizing—their brain goes into Avoidance Mode. > “If I don’t look at Tina, the fact that I let her down doesn’t exist.”

It’s the emotional equivalent of a toddler hiding their face behind their hands and thinking they’ve become invisible. They aren’t running away from you; they are running away from the version of themselves they see reflected in your eyes.

I used to think being avoided was a power move. I thought, Wow, they must really think they’re better than me. But if you look closer, avoidance is actually a very “weak” vibration.

• The Weight of the Unsaid: Every time they see you, they feel that heavy “thud” in their chest. That’s the guilt.

• The Mental Gymnastics: They have to work hard to avoid you. They have to plan exits, skip parties, and mute stories. That’s exhausting!

• The Self-Loathing Loop: Deep down, they know they’re being a coward. And nobody likes feeling like a coward.

So, while you’re sitting there wondering if you’re “too much,” they’re usually sitting there knowing they were “too little.”

So, what do we do when we’re on the receiving end of this? Because let’s be real, it still hurts, even if it is “their problem.”

1. Stop Auditing Yourself: If you’ve looked at the facts and you haven’t done anything wrong, stop searching for a flaw. You aren’t a puzzle to be solved; they are a bridge that’s currently under self-imposed construction.

2. Give Them Space (and then a little more): Forcing a confrontation with someone who is drowning in shame is like trying to pet a wet cat. They’re just going to scratch you. Let them sit in their silence until it gets uncomfortable enough for them to grow up.

3. Keep Being Your Fabulous Self: Don’t dim your light or hide just because they can’t handle the reflection. If they can’t look you in the eye, that’s a “them” problem, not a “you” problem.

At the end of the day, I’ve realized that I want people in my life who are brave enough to say, “Hey, I messed up, I’m sorry.” If someone is choosing to hide in the bushes instead of having a conversation, they’re basically telling me they don’t have the emotional tools to be a good friend right now.

And honestly? My life is too short—and my coffee is too good—to spend it chasing people who are running away from their own shadows.

Have you ever realized someone was avoiding you because they felt guilty? Or am I just the only one who has been “shame-ghosted”? Let me know in the comments—I need to know I’m not alone in this!