April 30, 2025

Top 7 Deactivating Strategies the Dismissive Avoidant Uses & WHY!

17 minutes

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Ever felt your partner suddenly pull away after a moment of closeness? You may be seeing a deactivating strategy in action.

In this illuminating episode of The Thais Gibson Podcast, Thais uncovers the top 7 deactivating strategies dismissive avoidants use to create distance when they feel emotionally overwhelmed or unsafe. Whether you're in a relationship with a DA or identify as one yourself, this episode breaks down the subconscious drivers behind these behaviors and offers empowering insights to shift the pattern.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✔️ Why physical distancing is the DA’s first line of defense

✔️ What a “vulnerability hangover” is—and how it leads to emotional retreat

✔️ How “connection hangovers” after intimacy spark silence or doubt

✔️ Why DAs often doubt their own feelings and question the relationship

✔️ How fear of expectations and not knowing “the rules” can trigger withdrawal

✔️ Why fixating on an ex or fictional figure creates emotional space

✔️ What these patterns are really protecting—and how to heal them for good

Thais also shares how to navigate these patterns without taking them personally, while helping DAs build healthier models of closeness, trust, and vulnerability.

Meet Your Host:

Thais Gibson is the founder of The Personal Development School, a best-selling author, and expert in attachment reprogramming. With a Ph.D. and over a decade of experience, Thais has helped over 70,000 people overcome insecure attachment styles and build conscious, fulfilling relationships.

Helpful Resources:

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📚 Explore the Learning Love Book

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#dismissiveavoidant #attachmentstyles #deactivatingstrategies #relationshipadvice #attachmenttheorypodcast #emotionaldistance #howtofindlove #subconscioushealing #emotionalpatterns

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By Thais Gibson

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