They develop into avoidantly attached adults: They try to minimize the pain of rejection by pretending they don’t actually want to connect. They don’t believe they can rely on others to meet their emotional needs, so they avoid getting too close to anyone. When intimacy increases, they try to pull away. Those attempts to disengage are called “deactivating strategies.” If you’ve heard someone say, “I’m not ready to commit” or “I just need space” or “My job is really demanding so I can’t see you right now,” then you’ve experienced avoidantly attached behavior.
