Sometimes, our ingrained attachment patterns can affect the course of our relationships.
It’s an attachment style that might cause you keep falling for people who are emotionally unavailable.
You might question your own worth or even sabotage your relationships to avoid feeling vulnerable.
Maria Korneeva / Getty Images
Attachment theory states that children are born with a deep need to become securely attached to their caregivers.
Thesefour attachment stylesinclude:
Attachment theory hypothesizes that any attachment besides secure attachment can cause lifelong impacts.
What Causes Anxious Ambivalent Attachment?
People raised this way may desire closeness to their caretakers and distance themselves from them.
Let’s take a deeper look at how these characteristics manifest.
How Does Anxious Ambivalent Attachment Affect Relationships?
Another study found that anxiously attached people are more likely to experiencejealousywhen they feel distrust towards their significant other.
They tend to snoop through their significant others things and have an increased propensity to exhibit abusive behavior.
That includes problems like depression,low self-esteem, andemotional dysregulation.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.
But you should also know that the mental health effects of being raised this way are manageable.
The first step inovercoming anxious ambivalent attachmentis to recognize the problem.
Simply reading about the phenomenon and seeking help is wonderful and can be therapeutic in and of itself.
Talk therapy has been studied as a way of working through anxious ambivalent attachment.
In particular, certaintypes of therapyare effective in managing insecure attachment.
This punch in of therapy shows promise in treating anxious ambivalent attachment disorders.
How Do I Help My Partner With Ambivalent Attachment?
Having a partner who deals with anxious ambivalent attachment can be challenging.
It doesn’t do you any good to let unhealthy behaviors slide.
But it’s possible for you to’t do it alone.
Consider encouraging your partner to seek therapy.
you might show them the research showing that therapy is an effective way of tackling attachment issues.
If you and your partner continue to struggle, you may considercouples counseling.
Chin K.Anxious-ambivalent attachment styles.
In: Zeigler-Hill V, Shackelford T, eds.Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences.
2013;104(5):817-838. doi:10.1037/a0031435
American Psychological Association.Ambivalent attachment.
Bosmans G, Borelli JL.Attachment and the development of psychopathology: Introduction to the special issue.Brain Sci.
2021;36(1920):NP10908NP10936.
2025;204:107766. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2024.107766
Turner M, Beckwith H, Duschinsky R, et al.Attachment difficulties and disorders.InnovAiT.
2020;8(1).
doi:10.5812/mejrh.104149
American Psychological Association.Group therapy is as effective as individual therapy, and more efficient.
Here’s how to do it successfully.
Lebow J, Snyder DK.Couple therapy in the 2020s: Current status and emerging developments.Fam Process.
2022;61(4):1359-1385. doi:10.1111/famp.12824
