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While navigating the treacherous world of dating, the concept of “attachment theory” often crops up.
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Unlike those quizzes, however, the theory of attachment styles is widelyacceptedin the academic psychology community.
What is attachment theory?
(This statistic comes froma studythat came out inChild Developmentin 2020.)
So, what exactly is secure attachment?
Furthermore, those with secure attachments may positively influence those with whom theyre in relationships.
Attachment is formed in the repair, too.
What are the anxious and avoidant attachment styles?
Then, we have the other attachment styles: avoidant and anxious.
The current understanding of attachment styles is more nuanced and includes mixed, or hybrid, attachment styles.
Tesoro notes that there are two variations of the avoidant attachment style: fearful and dismissive.
They can respond to intimacy by feeling helpless or anxious and feel distrustful of others.
According to her, this may be a result of neglect from early caregivers.
after a period of prolonged silence.
This may trigger a cycle of ongoing preoccupation and self-blame.
Do they get emotionally overwhelmed easily?
They can be shifted, she says.
Compassion is crucial when dealing with maladaptive attachment styles.
Before my divorce, I would have nightmares about my husband happily being in relationships with other women.
Although he wasnt actually cheating on me, these dreams caused me to experience frequent anxiety and panic attacks.
I knew the end of our marriage was inevitable.
When I started dating again, after my divorce, I didnt want to repeat my earlier mistakes.
The most important thing is to show up for them.
After all, this pairing replicates a lot of the patterns created in childhood.
But once youre aware of your patterns and behaviors, it becomes possible to change them.
Of course, this is a long, slow process.
They likely kept you safe, alert to untrustworthy bonds, and served you well.