#emotional-unavailability

#emotional-unavailability

Emotional unavailability in a parent undermines self-esteem and conditions children to prioritize parental approval over authentic self-expression, causing shame and resentment.

Choosing emotionally unavailable partners often repeats childhood attachment wounds, producing intensity that feels like intimacy but prevents secure, regulated connection until narratives are recognized.

Benign narcissism hides self-centeredness behind charm, producing surface warmth but emotional unavailability, inconsistent reliability, and a tendency to drop relationships when intimacy exposes the pattern.

A long-term relationship with a co-parent has deteriorated due to emotional unavailability, prompting serious consideration of leaving and temptation of a brief affair.

Katisha chose Javen despite clear signs of his emotional unavailability, sparking doubt, interpersonal conflict, and escalating drama.