avoidant attachment

Avoidant attachment is an attachment style where closeness feels unsafe, so you cope by pulling back, acting independent, or downplaying needs instead of leaning in. Online it gets used as a shortcut to explain why someone disappears emotionally or hates “serious talks,” but the real idea is fear of losing independence, not just being mean. Basically, it is the relationship version of keeping the door unlocked but the chain on, “just in case.”