5 Signs You Might be Avoidant

We hear a lot about attachment styles these days. About half the population seem to be either anxiously- or avoidantly-attached.

If you’re the former, you will probably have had your heart broken a fair number of times already. You might be aware now that you sometimes cling too hard, too fast to the wrong person.

If you’re avoidant, though, it might be harder to put your finger on why your relationships don’t seem to progress. After all, our society applauds individualism and maintaining autonomy, and dating app culture encourages us to always be on the lookout for a relationship upgrade.

If you notice any of these five symptoms, however, it might be that you have an avoidant attachment style:

1. Difficulty forming close relationships: Avoidant individuals have a (often unconscious) fear of intimacy and a tendency to keep others at a distance. You might have lots of friends, but very few you would actually call in an emergency. You might begin romantic relationships and then tire of them as soon as they become too ‘locked down’ — after moving in together, or even, for some, as soon as the relationship is consolidatied and made official.
2. Emotional detachment: You may have a detached, unemotional demeanor and difficulty expressing your feelings. People might remark on how stoical you are in a…