The hardest part of high-conflict communication isn't replying. It's deciding whether to reply at all.

Every message that lands carries the same set of questions: Is this real? Is this a trap? Will silence be used against me? Will replying make it worse? Am I overreacting? Am I under reacting? The cost of running those questions on every message is enormous. It's the energy you don't have left for your child, your work, your sleep. And the answer changes from message to message — so the cost is paid again every time.