Anxious-preoccupied attachment, also known as ambivalent attachment in infants, is an adult attachment style defined by a negative self-image and a positive view of others (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2003).

People with this attachment style desire closeness but often feel anxious about whether their partners will fulfill their emotional needs. They tend to experience relationship anxiety, are highly sensitive to potential rejection, and feel distressed when they perceive a lack of responsiveness from others.

Under stress, their attachment system becomes hyperactivated, resulting in heightened emotions and a strong dependence on their partners. Although preoccupied individuals fall in love easily, they often feel that lasting love is hard to attain (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007).

Attachment styles are patterns that emerge in our earliest emotional bonds with caregivers. These early attachment styles play an important role in child development and also influence attachment patterns in adult relationships. Knowing more about which style you have (secure, ambivalent, avoidant, or disorganized) can help you better recognize the challenges you might face in your romantic relationships.

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its  perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.” – Maya  Angelou