Slow to text back Dismissive avoidants don't like instant back-and-forth texting unless it's urgent or they're really interested. Their typical response is to take their time when texting back. To them, it doesn't matter when you text back as long as you do text back.
If your fearful avoidant ex regularly pulls away for a few days at a time, wait for them to reach out or respond. If it's more than 4 days since you heard from them, send a check-in text. A fearful avoidant leaning anxious will probably need more check-ins.
Avoidants mostly see such texts as needy, distracting and disrespectful and think/feel “what do you want?”, “don't you have something better to do?” or “why do I have to make you feel better”.
See if there is a pattern and in how long they pull away and lean back in. If your dismissive avoidant ex regularly pulls away for a few days at a time, wait for them to reach out or respond. If it's more than 5 – 7 days since you last heard from them, send a check-in text.
If an avoidant starts pulling away, let them know that you care but do not chase them. It may be very painful to do this, but pursuing them is likely to make it take longer for them to come back. They need breathing space, to feel safe with their own thoughts and unengulfed.
They're always looking for the red flags, and they will find them, so when you go no contact with the dismissive avoidant, don't expect them to reach out to you.
A fearful avoidant during no contact acts slightly differently from other attachment styles. Going no contact with them can become extremely distracting and often requires a lot of discipline. The fearful-avoidant does not express remorse or sadness over heartbreak in the initial weeks of the breakup.
Texting infrequently or not at all is the default mode of existence for dismissive avoidants who value independence more than connection. They'll rarely make attempts to reach out. They don't have the same connection needs as people with other attachment styles. Try not to take their minimal reaching out personally.
The fearful avoidant will withdraw so far into themselves a recovery of your relationship becomes very difficult. This is why we actually prefer shorter periods of no contact, no more than 21 days if you are trying to get a fearful avoidant back.
Double texts may turn them off. “Relationships are usually surface-level as they do not know how to be vulnerable with others,” Luther says, “and double texting could come off as 'needy' and not something [to which] the avoidant person is comfortable committing.”
Love Avoidants recognize and are attracted to the Love Addict's strong fear of being left because Love Avoidants know that all they have to do to trigger their partner's fear is threaten to leave.
For these reasons, avoidant individuals tend to have fewer long-term relationships and prefer to either abstain from sex or have short-term and casual sex encounters. They are likely to use fantasy or pornography as a substitute for intimacy (similarly to the anxious group) and engage in emotion-free sex.
We have found that on average a fearful avoidant will not initiate a reconnection with you. However, there is a window of time where they do consider it and if you time it right you can get them to come back if that's what you want.
Avoidant people may not realize how much their communication is avoidant as they may consciously want to have a companion. It is their heart (unconscious) that has shut down to being in a love relationship. As a result the person will give mixed messages.
An avoidant may also deactivate longer if you act needy, upset and angry when they need space away from you to feel safe again. Since fearful avoidants usually reach out after deactivating for 2 – 5 days, wait up to 3 days to see if they'll reach out before reaching out.
So, they are more at a loss when you stop chasing them. They are miserable, sad, and broken. The worst part is that some avoidants may never differentiate their own emotions. They think 'being aloof' is the only way they can be safe and away from the emotional desert.
They will cut off contact with anyone perceived as a source of emotional turmoil - avoidants may tell themselves and believe they are saving the other pain (which possibly can be the case), but ultimately it is simply less stressful to disengage and ultimately safer to feel 'hated' or disliked at a distance than become ...
Once again, people with a dismissive-avoidant style showed that they did care about relationships. Dismissive avoidant students reported higher self-esteem and positive mood than non-dismissives—but only when told that surgency predicts future interpersonal success.
It's not that they don't want loving relationships – it's just that it's difficult for them to give themselves over to love. To protect themselves from feelings of rejection, an avoidant attacher will create strict physical and emotional boundaries.
They listen to you.
For avoidants, getting close to a romantic partner—or anyone, for that matter—can be a scary thing. They tend to…well, avoid it. If your partner actively listens to you when you speak and is curious about you, it's a sign they're attached to you and they care deeply for you.
They make an effort to bond with you
For an avoidant person, bonding is quite tricky. But, if they are making an effort to bond with you through the things you like, it is a good sign. This effort displays that they trust you and are ready to commit to you.
In line with their desire for complete independence, many people with an avoidant attachment style also feel greatly triggered when a partner becomes too reliant on them. Especially if this leads to more demands for their time and attention. Having to focus on others can feel like a burden.
Share your goals and motivations for the relationship. Avoidant individuals fear being abandoned and rejected and will often misinterpret your intentions because of that belief system. That's why it's helpful to talk about your reasons for being in the relationship, including your goals.