Has it ever happened that you are with a group of friends, but you just can’t develop an interest in the ongoing conversation? Or consider this: you have received a special award, but you are not truly happy. These are alarming signs that you are probably getting emotionally detached from your relationships and yourself.
What are the signs of emotional unavailability?
- Lack of commitment: for someone who is emotionally unavailable, commitment is challenging. They might postpone making a relationship official or proposing marriage. They are apprehensive about getting too close. Such people mostly prefer casual relationships. Even with family or friends, the person could be reluctant to make plans or may frequently cancel them.
- Being defensive: A person who is emotionally absent also frequently reacts defensively. Additionally, they might attribute the issues they face to others. They have trouble trusting others, which may lead to them becoming emotionally detached. Even if you question them about their unavailability, they always try to defend their behaviour.
- Lack of empathy: Those who lack emotional awareness may also have low empathy. In other words, a person who lacks emotional stability may not be able to relate to your sorrows or problems. They are unable to put themselves in your position or take your feelings into account while making decisions.
Reasons why a person is emotionally absent–
- Emotional inaccessibility can be significantly influenced by early attachment to primary carers, i.e., parents, immediate family members, etc. You might have been neglected as a child or did not get the needed love and support. You have now developed detachment from relationships.
- Many people suffering from mental illnesses, such as depression, may struggle to maintain an emotional connection with their loved ones. Sometimes even issues at work result in a person losing interest in talking to people.
- A sudden detachment from people and circumstances can also happen if you have lost a loved one either due to separation or death. The void in your life created by that person impacts all other relationships.
- While you cannot avoid going into a state of emotional instability, you can seek therapy to revive. Try and spend time with people who mean a lot to you and have deep, meaningful conversations with them.
