December 20, 2025

Shocking Surprises Living with A Dismissive Avoidant

1 hour

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Moving in together can feel like a major relationship milestone, but when one partner has a Dismissive Avoidant attachment style, it can also surface unexpected challenges.

In this episode, Thais Gibson and co-host Mike DiZio walk through what to realistically expect when you first move in with a Dismissive Avoidant, why certain behaviors show up, and how to navigate this transition without taking things personally or creating unnecessary conflict.

If you’re considering moving in with a Dismissive Avoidant, or already have, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and practical strategies.

Living together often fast-tracks couples into the power struggle stage of relationships, and Dismissive Avoidants can feel especially activated by this shift. In this episode, you’ll learn why Dismissive Avoidants may retreat, equate comfort with love, struggle with compromise, and fear expectations, even when they deeply care about their partner.

Thais and Mike explore:

✅ Why Dismissive Avoidants need space to regulate emotionally

✅ How fear of being trapped can show up after moving in

✅ Why conflict feels especially threatening in their home environment

✅ How unconscious habits from hyper-independence impact cohabitation

✅ What conversations must happen in advance to prevent resentment

Most importantly, this episode emphasizes that these patterns are understandable, workable, and not signs that the relationship is doomed, especially when both partners are willing to communicate and do the healing work.

Key Takeaways

✅ Dismissive Avoidants often retreat into personal space to self-regulate after moving in

✅ Comfort and routine may be interpreted as love, leading to unintentional complacency

✅ Fear of expectations can cause emotional withdrawal, not loss of care

✅ Avoiding conflict temporarily increases long-term tension

✅ Compromise and shared habits must be consciously built, not assumed

✅ Clear conversations before moving in reduce fear, shutdown, and resentment

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

03:17 – 1. Dismissive Avoidants Retreat to Their Own Space for Emotional Distance

21:34 – 7-Day Free Trial Promo

22:25 – 2. Dismissive Avoidants Equate Comfort With Love

31:06 – 3. Dismissive Avoidants Fear Expectation and Being Trapped

43:22 – 4. Dismissive Avoidants Retreat to Avoid Conflict

48:33 – 5. Dismissive Avoidants Struggle with Compromise

51:14 – 6. Dismissive Avoidants Are Protective of Their Belongings

51:14 – Live With Them for a Few Days Before Moving in

1:00:04 – Subscribe and Follow For More

Meet the Host

Thais Gibson is the founder of The Personal Development School and a world leader in attachment theory. With a Ph.D. and over a dozen certifications, she’s helped more than 70,000 people reprogram their subconscious and build thriving relationships.

Helpful Resources:

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