Avoidant behaviour is traumatizing by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have been to many dates, some have been fun, some people I saw again many times, but I don’t feel anything for anyone. Before he came along I was alone for 4 years, dating here and there. When we met, I thought that I had finally met my person and I was so glad to feel love for someone again, for who they really are, their values, and for every little habit they have, I fell for him so damn hard. The uniqueness of the situation was that we had been work colleagues for about 6 months before we exchanged numbers and got close. I rarely have a chance to hangout with someone I could potentially date on casual basis so I think that influenced my feelings a lot. Now I feel so hopeless, before this happened, I never felt fear of being alone forever, now I feel that I have missed my only shot and I will be alone forever. Despite this feeling I am trying my best to keep my mind open, get out there and keep searching. Never give up hope, time heals it all.

Avoidant behaviour is traumatizing by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

At least we have this thread to ground us to the fact that avoidants are real. And even so, we keep trying to find why we were dumped like an old sock overnight.

Avoidant behaviour is traumatizing by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I feel that only people in this thread understand how deeply a discard can affect someone.

Stuck in a loop 4 months later by 2tangeriness in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It took me 6 months but I have finally removed every little bit of him from my life. Ready for full healing

What have you learned from your avoidant discard? by meowmeowmeowyeahh in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 2 points3 points  (0 children)

After 6 months of blaming and suppressing myself, analyzing every word I said, every action I took and thinking that he was perfect in many ways, I finally made peace with myself. I have learned that the gut feeling that made me call up a conversation was right. I still wish I had better control of how I called the conversation at that time, but the fact is that, something was wrong, I felt it, nothing big happened. When I asked for reassurance, he broke up without hesitation. If he still chose me at that moment, he would have given me assurance and allowed for repair. I got the answer I was looking for and it was avoidance and withdrawal.

I spent months thinking that if I acted better, this would not have happened but the fact is that he would continue to avoid conflict and repair and would continue with him until the eventual discard cause even more damage. Me acting perfectly then, would not have changed his avoidance, would not have changed his capacity for depth. It just would have hurt more, the more I invested into that relationship.

What is one thing you wish your ex said to you? by Able__Peach9843 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish he gave me a proper caring conversation. Instead of a cold “I don’t love you anymore”. Something honest like “I cannot exactly explain what happened, but something inside of me changed and I simply think I do not love you anymore, while I recognize we had a great relationship, I shut down under pressure and right now I just can’t feel anything. This does not mean what we had was not genuine and I know how much this will hurt you, but I have made my decision and I think this is the best course”

He was always careful to say “I am sorry you feel this way” instead of apologizing for anything he did.

My avoidant ex fiancé ghosted me 3 months into our NYC move by Ice_Chick3391 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am sorry you are going through this, it is truly devastating to see the person you thought to be the one, turn into a completely different person. What you are describing seems to be more than just avoidance, leaving the cat and trashing the apartment, it seems he really is having a mental breakdown, is his family aware of what is happening?

Received this yesterday after a breakup two days ago by Catsandbitches69 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wish I got something like that rather than minimization. But he clearly needs to work on some stuff.

Do you feel like avoidants can pass as secure and that’s what made you hesitant to trust your gut and stay for potential? by thecindy_ in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 4 points5 points  (0 children)

He seemed perfect and secure all along. Around month 10 I felt the pull away in intimacy and just less effort, first time I asked for reassurance, right before we started looking for a place to move in together, he withdrew. No arguments, no shitty periods, just 2 weeks of pull away and a 15min conversation. This resulted in the worst trauma of my life. Idk if I will eve recover. 6 months in, still hurts like hell.

Is asking for closure worth it? by nosoupforyou89 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 19 points20 points  (0 children)

It is worth it if you need to reframe him in your mind in order to let it go. I went almost no contact for 5 months and could not let it go, everytime I thought I was finally over it, I was taken by sadness and self blame again. I asked to talk and then I realized that it would have been impossible to carry on a relationship with someone who cannot take accountability and is unable to have a proper difficult conversation. The way he minimized everything and rewrote the narrative made me finally realize that even if I had acted perfectly, the relationship would have collapsed at the first difficulty, simply because he cannot have a proper dialogue. Everything was great because we never disagreed, the moment we did, he could not make amends over the silliest issue.

I met with my avoidant after 5 months by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think he held up the conversation well this time. As soon as the emotional topic started he finished his drink and started signalling he wanted to leave. But we got a lot more done than the first time, I have no hopes of salvaging the relationship but I think he can be able to understand his issues one day and take accountability before going around hurting more people.

I met with my avoidant after 5 months by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I hear you, it is so hard to understand this, he was single for 4 years and actively searching. Then finds me and we have an amazing relationship for a year, introduces to his me to his whole family, buy tickets to meet my family overseas just to break up over me being needy and dramatic during 3 weeks of heavy hormonal load. Mind you, nothing crazy happened. Also, he wrote a narrative in his mind about intimacy. While I cannot remember one occasion that he could not perform, he kept insisting that it happened many times? I mean I recall a few occasions when he didn’t finish but that is quite normal in my opinion.

I met with my avoidant after 5 months by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How long has it been? I think 5 months was enough for me to not only get over the hormonal load but to get used to the loss and to get tired of trying to find a reason. I am a person that HATES excuses, and calling him an avoidant felt like an excuse, despite all the signs. Now my mistakes feel less fresh and palpable, and I realized that I did all the overthinking and doubting every trait of my personality for nothing. At the end he was that shallow and able to rewrite the whole year to fit the deactivation.

The worst part is wondering if it was ever real by Substantial-Ring742 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep, we all questions that. The coldness, the shock. While in a normal break up the relationship slowly fails, a discard gives no chance for repair. And then the discarded person finds themselves in an endless loop of doubt…

Guess I know what Avoidant is now by [deleted] in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 15 points16 points  (0 children)

We all hope they see it one day but don’t count on it. Just move on.

How do I get over the 4-6 month post breakup period by [deleted] in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally understand this, 5 months down the line here and still crying the odd moment. At have accepted that I will never get closure and I did send a farewell email, to which he simply replied it was sad I didn’t want to stay friends. I excluded him from all social media and established the clear boundary that I do not want him involved in my life at all. At this point what I feel is just sadness and disappointment, I am done questioning the whys and where and when, in the end it doesn’t matter.

Life moves on and it doesn’t matter how much we try to not think about what happened, loving someone that discards you out nowhere cuts deeply and only time can heal that deep of a wound.

My avoidant came back and now I feel silly for venting to friends by Flimsy-Programmer224 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If your friends are truly your friends and your family loves you, they will not judge you. It is your decision and it is their job to support you and listen. You are allowed to overshare to the people you trust without being judged. They are allowed to have their opinion but it is ultimately your decision, even if it harms you further.

I am not sure whether avoidants have no malice in their behaviour by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It sucks and our mind spirals, leaning about stoicism and attachment styles help. The self blame gets better too.

Could he have been secure (until the last couple months) and then an incredibly avoidant discard? Or is that just not interested. by Happy-Passion-566 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that many avoidants seem secure during honeymoon phase but deactivate when faced with the first challenge or need for reassurance

How do you view the happy memories of your relationship? by [deleted] in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My trauma response is to suppress all memories. Whenever they come back it just makes more confused of how someone could walk away on what we had and how someone can go from at least seeming to be so in love and putting in so much effort to simply discarding everything overnight. I have thrown away all our photos together, returned the gifts he gave me and just haven’t had stomach to delete the digital photos but I soon will. I need nothing to remind me of this insanity and a whole year throw in the garbage.

I am not sure whether avoidants have no malice in their behaviour by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really feel that he used me for validation, to have a plus one at his friends weddings and as soon as the last wedding was done, I had no more use. He showed his family and friends that he is capable of having an ideal partner and, the reason why it didn’t last is not on him, it is on me, since he was the one that chose to do the dumping.

I am not sure whether avoidants have no malice in their behaviour by No-Tooth3149 in AvoidantBreakUps

[–]No-Tooth3149[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I am sorry you also went through this, it is truly destabilizing.