The Fearful Avoidant attachment usually stems from a child who lacked bonding with a parent or caregiver, and therefore fears any bonds of the future. They aren’t able to trust + often withdrawal or sabotage when it turns intimate.
Unlike Anxious Attachment who enjoys closeness yet worries of disconnect, Fearful Avoidant has a lower tolerance for connecting + gets overwhelmingly anxious + fearful when they get too close to someone.
⭐️When this child becomes a parent themselves, this tendency reveals itself most commonly as a parent who can meet the basic needs of a child, but has a hard time developing anything deeper than a surface relationship with them. It’s as if they fear they’ll be reminded of their own failures, feelings, wounds + inability to be seen. Keeping a distance is easier + safer than being vulnerable + deeply connected, and so the cycle continues unless healed. I’ll be sharing tools to cope as we continue covering the four attachments. For now, check out my IGTV series on this… and stay curious + encouraged.
