Triggers for an Avoidant Attachment Style

Do you love the idea of love but feel like running in the opposite direction when it gets real? Relish your “me time” but sometimes wonder if a partner-in-crime wouldn’t be so bad? If you catch yourself pushing people away as soon as things get serious, you might be doing the dance of the avoidant attachment style.

_{What’s the Avoidant Attachment Style All About?}

Avoidant attachment style is like having a love affair with personal space. It’s one of the attachment patterns that can develop early in life and sway how you manage relationships as an adult.

Folks with an avoidant attachment style cherish independence. It’s like they’ve built this cozy bubble where they’re the kings and queens of their castle. They might avoid commitment like it’s an Olympic sport and keep emotions on a tight leash.

_{How Did I Develop Avoidant Attachment?}

If you’re wondering how one gets into this exclusive “Independence Club,” it usually starts in the early years. When caregivers are emotionally unavailable or unresponsive, a kiddo learns to rely on themselves.

It’s like getting a membership card to the self-sufficiency club. Over time, this can morph into an avoidant attachment style - where you guard your independence with the zeal of a warrior.

_{Triggers for an Avoidant Attachment Style}

So, what sets the avoidant attachment style into motion? Here are the sparks:

_{1. Personal Space Violation:}

‍When someone encroaches upon your personal space or demands an emotional investment, it feels as if the boundaries you have meticulously built are being compromised. You value your independence and solitude to the point that intermingling with others is approached with extreme caution. There’s a subconscious fear that sharing space might lead to a loss of self.

_{2. Emotional Confrontation:}

When faced with emotional dialogue or situations, your natural inclination is to retreat or deflect. This is not due to apathy but rather a self-defense mechanism. Emotions are perceived as chaotic elements that threaten the stability of your internal environment. You prefer to maintain an emotional equilibrium and avoid the unpredictability that emotions might bring.

_{3. Commitment Phobia:}

When a relationship evolves toward a more serious commitment, you experience an internal resistance. The concept of being emotionally tied to someone else's well-being and happiness generates anxiety. This anxiety stems from the fear of losing your autonomy and the pressures that come with being someone’s emotional anchor.

_{4. Exit Strategy Planning:}

As a protector of your own autonomy, you tend to have an escape plan ready for when relationships get too close for comfort. You are vigilant, and as intimacy increases, your focus shifts from connection to self-preservation. This entails creating physical or emotional distance to safeguard yourself from potential emotional entanglements or disappointments.

_{5. Cautious Communication:}

You tend to communicate cautiously, especially when discussions veer into serious or emotional territories. You might rely on factual, logical, or detached language to keep the conversation from becoming too emotionally charged. This is a method of maintaining control over the interaction and protecting oneself from emotional vulnerability.

_{6. Historical Secrecy:}

You regard your past and personal history as something to be kept under lock and key. Any inquiries into your background are met with vagueness or deflection. The past is seen as a repository of vulnerabilities that, if known to others, could be used against you or could alter their perception of you in a negative light.

_{7. Remote Support:}

You may exhibit support for others, but often in a remote or detached manner. Your support might come in the form of text messages or gifts, but rarely physical presence or emotional availability. This is because the emotional energy required in being present for someone else's crisis is perceived as overwhelming and threatening to your self-regulated emotional state.

_{8. Controlled Intimacy:}

You may engage in intimate relationships but with a clear set of boundaries. Physical and emotional closeness is metered and often capped at a level where you feel you still maintain control. This control is essential in ensuring that the intimacy does not evolve into a form where it demands more emotional investment than you are willing to give.

Understanding these triggers is essential in cultivating self-awareness and in navigating relationships with sensitivity towards one's own attachment style and the attachment styles of others. Through self-awareness and understanding, one can work toward forming more secure and fulfilling relationships

_{Flex Your Brain Muscles with Affirmations}

ffirmations are like mental push-ups for your brain. When you keep repeating positive stuff, your brain starts building stronger connections, sort of like building muscle.

Brain scans even show that affirmations light up the parts of your brain that make you feel good, just like when you get a high-five or find cash in your pocket. This brain workout helps you chill during stressful times and swap out those not-so-great thoughts for more upbeat ones.

1. My emotions are an important part of me.
2. It’s okay to share my life with someone.
3. I can maintain my independence and be in a relationship
4. I am worthy of giving and receiving love
5. Commitment can be fulfilling and rewarding.
6. I can create a balance between space and connection
7. My worth is not only in my independence.
8. I can be vulnerable and still be strong.
9. My past doesn’t have to dictate my relationships now.
10. I am open to the possibilities of love.

_{How to Heal an Avoidant Attachment Style}

If avoidant attachment has you feeling like you’re trapped in thought, our self-therapy journal - How to Heal an Avoidant Attachment Style - can be your secret code out.

This gem will guide you in understanding the roots of your attachment style, offer daily affirmations, and tips to build secure relationships.

_{Final Thoughts}

Avoidant attachment style is like being the ultimate guardian of your independence. While it might have been a shield in your early years, it doesn’t have to define your relationships forever. Recognizing your triggers and exercising your brain with affirmations can pave the way to more fulfilling connections.