Navigating Healthy Interdependence and Communication with Avoidants

Healthy relationships entail interdependence where individuals can meet their own needs and also receive support from each other. Dismissive avoidants struggle with interdependence due to a hyper-independent upbringing, leading them to believe everyone should only be responsible for themselves. This can result in a hyper-independent or counter-dependent dynamic. On the other end of the spectrum is codependency, where individuals only focus on meeting each other's needs, fostering resentment and unrealistic expectations. Communication with avoidants requires understanding that they are sensitive to criticism and may internalize it deeply, leading to withdrawal and feelings of helplessness. Avoidants might feel incapable of meeting relationship demands, akin to feeling lost in pursuing a goal without knowing how to achieve it.