Clinginess can be a caused by a variety of things. Very often, it can be caused by low self-esteem or insecurity. Expressing a strong need for attention can be a manifestation of the fear that a partner either doesn't like you, or that they'll leave.
The clingy behavior is coming from somewhere. Your partner may have deep-seated insecurities about himself/herself or the relationship as a whole. Maybe your partner has trust issues from past relationships or traumatic experiences. Perhaps there is a history of infidelity that makes your partner mistrusting.
It can come as a surprise when your partner asks for space. While clingy tendencies may have been “ok” in your previous relationship, being overly needy is generally considered a toxic dating habit.
Clinginess in a relationship means one partner is exhibiting behavior that is needy, suffocating, dependent, obsessive, or jealous, often resulting from a negative self image.
Individuals with an anxious attachment style are characterized with: Being clingy. Having an intensely persistent and hypervigilant alertness towards their partner's actions or inactions.
Acting clingy
An individual might hold on to a relationship even though it consistently makes them feel frightened or unloved. Moreover, relational trauma can also lead people to feel and act clingy even when they're in a loving, stable relationship. This may occur with no obvious reasons for being insecure.
Examples of Clinginess in Relationships
Calling your partner several times a day. Repeatedly messaging them throughout the day. Working yourself into a panic when they don't respond. Constantly stalking your partner's activities on social media.
Being clingy makes you more dependent on someone, making it harder to break away from them. You don't want to attribute your happiness to one person (unless, of course, that person is yourself). One of the most difficult things to work on is being less clingy, especially if you are already an extremely clingy person.
Clinginess has been named the biggest relationship turn-off in a scientific study. Do you want to spend every waking hour with your partner, giving them constant love and attention? If so, you might want to back off – as clinginess has been named the biggest relationship turn-off in a scientific study.
Is Codependency the Same Thing as Clinginess? Codependency refers to the state of needing to have another person validate you, depend upon you, and make sacrifices for you to prove their love to you. It's a dysfunctional relationship pattern that may involve clinginess when your partner isn't there.
'Clingy' is a term often used to describe someone who does not have clear boundaries and tends to get over-attached emotionally or even physically. If your boyfriend is overly possessive, jealous (even of your non-romantic relationships), and irrationally insecure about your whereabouts, he is clingy.
[intransitive] cling (to somebody) (usually disapproving) to stay close to someone, especially because you need them emotionally After her mother's death, Sara clung to her aunt more than ever.
They comfort us amid loneliness and boost our confidence about our abilities. In fact, our possessions do not just make us feel secure by substituting for important people in our lives; we actually see these objects as an extension of ourselves.
How long should you expect this separation anxiety to last? It usually peaks between ten and eighteen months and then fades during the last half of the second year. In some ways, this phase of your child's emotional development will be especially tender for both of you, while in others, it will be painful.
Different sources of anxiety can be at the root of clingy or needy behavior. Developing new coping skills, such as meditation or cognitive behavioral techniques, can reduce this behavior. In some cases, there may be a real relationship problem to address, such as an affair or undiscussed mental health condition.
Dependent personality disorder usually starts during childhood or by the age of 29. People with DPD have an overwhelming need to have others take care of them. Often, a person with DPD relies on people close to them for their emotional or physical needs. Others may describe them as needy or clingy.
Much like love bombing, trauma bonds can give the resemblance of love. They're often confused for love because of the trying nature, and when you love someone, you do try. Trauma bond relationships are driven by fear, not love, which is the biggest differentiator between trauma bonds and love.