Dismissive Avoidants: How They Bond Emotionally & Physically
Start Healing Your Attachment Style & Unlock Your Core Needs. Free for 7 Days + Bonus Course for Life! https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/dream-life-free-course?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=dream-life-free-course&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=pod-12-10-25&el=podcast
Many people misunderstand what sex and intimacy mean to a Dismissive Avoidant — assuming distance, shutdowns, or withdrawal are signs of disinterest. But neuroscience shows that Dismissive Avoidants bond through intimacy in very unique ways, and their core wounds around vulnerability deeply shape how they connect emotionally and physically.
In this video, Thais Gibson breaks down what happens in the mind, body, and nervous system of a Dismissive Avoidant during sex and connection. You’ll learn why intimacy activates old subconscious programming, why vulnerability can trigger fear, and how to build a safer foundation for physical and emotional closeness.
You’ll learn:
✅ Why vulnerability activates core wounds like “I am unsafe” and “I am defective”
✅ How emotional intimacy can trigger shutdown after closeness
✅ Why pressure or expectations around sex lead to withdrawal
✅ How shame becomes subconsciously associated with intimacy
✅ The role of childhood emotional neglect in adult sexual dynamics
✅ How fear of inadequacy impacts desire and presence
✅ What partners can do to communicate without triggering shutdown
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 – What Happens to Dismissive Avoidants Around Sex and Intimacy
01:00 – 1. Dismissive Avoidants Have Big Core Wounds Around Intimacy
01:35 – 2. Dismissive Avoidants Are Afraid of Feeling Trapped, Helpless or Pressured
02:50 – Needs Course Promo
03:17 – When There is a Lot of Vulnerability Around Sex
03:56 – If There is Pressure Around Sex
04:27 – When Sex Becomes Less Frequent or Creates Problems
05:17 – If They Feel Criticized About Sex
05:32 – When They Feel Incapable of Meeting Their Partner's Needs
06:04 – If They Are Critical About Themselves
06:22 – Do You Have Any Questions?
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:
🧠 Take the Free Attachment Style Quiz
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=attachment-quiz&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
📚 Read the Learning Love Book
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/learning-love?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=learning-love&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
🎧 Discover Podcast Episodes
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/podcast?page=1
📝 Read the PDS Blog
https://blog.personaldevelopmentschool.com/
Let’s Connect on Socials:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePersonalDevelopmentSchool
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thaisgibson
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
#DismissiveAvoidant #AttachmentStyles #AttachmentTheory #AvoidantAttachment #IntimacyIssues #RelationshipAdvice #SexAndAttachment #Neuroplasticity #ThaisGibson #PersonalDevelopmentSchool
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Dismissive Avoidant Breadcrumbing: What You Need to Know
Start Healing Your Attachment Style & Unlock Your Core Needs. Free for 7 Days + Bonus Course for Life! https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/dream-life-free-course?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=dream-life-free-course&utm_medium=organic&utm_content=pod-12-08-25&el=podcast
If you’re tired of feeling confused, undervalued, or “left hanging” by someone who only gives you just enough to keep you around, this episode breaks down the psychology of Dismissive Avoidant breadcrumbing.
Thais Gibson explains the deeper emotional and subconscious roots of breadcrumbing within the Dismissive Avoidant attachment style, including how their childhood emotional neglect creates a comfort zone around emotional scarcity. She also reveals why people on the receiving end of breadcrumbing often feel “stuck,” and how this dynamic stems from their own learned comfort with neglect.
You’ll walk away with practical tools to recondition your subconscious comfort zone, shift limiting beliefs, rebuild your standards, and create a relationship model based on mutual nourishment rather than deprivation.
You'll learn:
✅ What breadcrumbing actually is and why it’s so common with Dismissive Avoidants
✅ How childhood emotional neglect creates an Avoidant's “breadcrumb comfort zone”
✅ Why trauma spreads through patterns, not intention
✅ How Dismissive Avoidants can stop breadcrumbing by learning to stop breadcrumbing themselves
✅ Why people who accept breadcrumbs usually have their own comfort zone of neglect
✅ How to recondition your subconscious to expect, and accept, real emotional nourishment
✅ The role of boundaries, standards, and self-worth in stopping the cycle
✅ Why identifying your needs changes your entire dating experience
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 – Are You Being Breadcrumbed by a Dismissive Avoidant?
02:34 – Why We Accept Breadcrumbs: Subconscious Comfort Zones
05:15 – Dismissive Avoidants Must Stop Breadcrumbing Themselves
06:37 – Giving Yourself What You're Not Receiving Externally
08:22 – Needs Course Promo
08:47 – Why You Stay in Breadcrumbing Dynamics
09:26 – Boundaries as a Declaration of Your Self Worth
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:
🧠 Take the Free Attachment Style Quiz
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=attachment-quiz&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
📚 Read the Learning Love Book
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/learning-love?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=learning-love&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
🎧 Discover Podcast Episodes
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/podcast?page=1
📝 Read the PDS Blog
https://blog.personaldevelopmentschool.com/
Let’s Connect on Socials:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePersonalDevelopmentSchool
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thaisgibson
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
#DismissiveAvoidant #AttachmentStyles #AttachmentTheory #ThaisGibson #PersonalDevelopmentSchool #HealingAttachment #RelationshipPatterns #Breadcrumbing #EmotionalNeglect
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10:29
Signs a Dismissive Avoidant Is in Limerence
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Can a Dismissive Avoidant actually become secretly obsessed with you?
In this vulnerable episode, Mike opens up about a real-life limerence experience, revealing what Dismissive Avoidant infatuation truly looks like from the inside. If you’ve ever wondered whether a Dismissive Avoidant is thinking about you more than they let on… this episode will give you clarity, compassion, and surprising insight.
Today we’re diving into the 6 key signs a Dismissive Avoidant is secretly obsessed with you and why dismissive avoidants can experience deep limerence even when they appear emotionally distant. Mike shares a personal story of unexpected intense infatuation, how unmet needs and repressed traits triggered limerence, and the subtle ways Dismissive Avoidants try to connect without revealing too much. We also break down the psychology of limerence, why it hits so hard, and which attachment style tends to experience celebrity-crush limerence the most.
Dismissive Avoidants do experience limerence, often intensely, but privately.
Dismissive Avoidant limerence is usually triggered when someone reflects their deeply repressed traits or meets long-standing unmet needs such as acceptance, attunement, and emotional support.
Signs of Dismissive Avoidant obsession often show up indirectly (liking all your posts, asking deep questions early, staring from a distance, subtle attempts to “bump into you”).
Limerence becomes soothing for Dismissive Avoidants, a way to experience emotional intensity without vulnerability.
Dismissive Avoidant women are the most likely group to develop strong celebrity-crush limerence.
True connection requires moving from fantasy to authenticity and learning to meet your needs more directly.
👥 ABOUT THE HOSTS
Thais Gibson is the founder of The Personal Development School and a leading expert in Attachment Theory and integrative emotional healing.
Mike is a former Dismissive Avoidant who openly shares his experiences to help others understand attachment dynamics and healing.
📚 RESOURCES & LINKS
Helpful Resources:
🧠 Take the Free Attachment Style Quiz
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=attachment-quiz&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
📚 Read the Learning Love Book
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/learning-love?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=learning-love&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
🎧 Discover Podcast Episodes
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/podcast?page=1
📝 Read the PDS Blog
https://blog.personaldevelopmentschool.com/
Let’s Connect on Socials:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePersonalDevelopmentSchool
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thaisgibson
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
#DismissiveAvoidant #AttachmentStyles #Limerence #AvoidantAttachment #AttachmentTheory #PDS #ThaisGibson #EmotionalHealing #Relationships
If you’re ready to break old patterns, heal your nervous system, and transform your relationships from the inside out, start your 7-day trial today and get the Somatic Attachment Healing Course FREE for life.
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/somatic-attachment-healing?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=cyber-monday&utm_medium=organic&utm_term=fxGk1uk5YWM&utm_content=yt-11-29-25&el=podcast
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Find Your Biggest Attachment Triggers | Live Masterclass with Thais Gibson
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In this special live Q&A, Thais Gibson, founder of The Personal Development School, walks you through the practical process of identifying your core wounds and attachment triggers — the hidden emotional patterns that drive your reactions, fears, and relationship dynamics.
Whether you’re anxious, avoidant, or somewhere in between, you’ll learn how to decode emotional triggers, understand their root causes, and start reprogramming them at the subconscious level. Thais also answers audience questions in real time, helping listeners uncover their most powerful healing opportunities.
🎙️ Meet Your Host
Thais Gibson is the founder of The Personal Development School and creator of the Integrated Attachment Theory™. With a Ph.D. and more than 70,000 students worldwide, she teaches emotional intelligence, subconscious reprogramming, and secure relationship skills.
📚 Helpful Resources:
🧠 Take the Free Attachment Style Quiz
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=attachment-quiz&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
📘 Read Learning Love by Thais Gibson
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/learning-love
🎧 Discover Podcast Episodes
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/podcast?page=1
📝 Read the PDS Blog
https://blog.personaldevelopmentschool.com/
Connect with Us:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePersonalDevelopmentSchool
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thaisgibson
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
#CoreWounds #AttachmentHealing #ThaisGibson #SubconsciousReprogramming #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfAwareness #HealingJourney #AttachmentStyles #PersonalDevelopment #EmotionalHealing
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57:47
When A Dismissive Avoidant Argues with An Anxious Attachment Style
Start Healing Your Attachment Style With Personalized Courses Taught by Thais Gibson. Free for 7 Days (Enough Time to Complete a Full Course). Limited-time Offer:
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/dream-life?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=7-day-trial&utm_medium=organic&utm_term=haGEv_CHOq4&utm_content=yt-11-21-25&el=podcast
When you love someone deeply but every argument feels like hitting the same wall — one partner chasing, the other shutting down — it can be excruciating. You want connection and resolution, but every attempt only pushes you further apart.
In this episode, Thais Gibson reveals five crucial steps to break free from the Anxious–Dismissive Avoidant argument cycle. You’ll learn how to de-escalate conflict, communicate your needs without triggering defenses, and turn disagreement into emotional closeness and repair.
You’ll learn:
✅ The core triggers for both Anxious and Dismissive Avoidant partners
✅ How to identify emotional patterns that keep you stuck in painful cycles
✅ A powerful somatic technique to calm your body during conflict
✅ The “one topic per conversation” rule that prevents spiraling arguments
✅ The step-by-step framework for validation, communication, and resolution
✅ Why learning your needs — and expressing them — transforms every relationship
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 – When A Dismissive Avoidant Argues with An Anxious Attachment Style
01:30 – 5 Steps To Change How You See Conflict
02:27 – Step 1. Know Your Triggers.
02:53 – Anxious Attachment Style Biggest Core Wounds
03:20 – Dismissive Avoidant Attachment Biggest Core Wounds
04:48 – Step 2. Practice a Somatic Processing Skill
05:25 – Research on Triggering Experiences
06:54 – Step 3. Stick To One Topic Per Conversation
07:26 – 7-Day Free Trial Promo
08:15 – Steps 4 & 5. The Validation, Need, Validation Framework
09:20 – Locked in Trigger Cycles
10:00 – Framework for Conflict Resolution
11:50 – Arguing Isn't About Right or Wrong
12:26 – Announcement: New Livestream Podcast!
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:
🧠 Take the Free Attachment Style Quiz
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=attachment-quiz&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
📚 Read the Learning Love Book
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/learning-love?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=learning-love&utm_medium=organic&el=podcast
🎧 Discover Podcast Episodes
https://attachment.personaldevelopmentschool.com/podcast?page=1
📝 Read the PDS Blog
https://blog.personaldevelopmentschool.com/
Let’s Connect on Socials:
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePersonalDevelopmentSchool
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thaisgibson
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thepersonaldevelopmentschool/
#AttachmentStyles #AnxiousAttachment #DismissiveAvoidant #RelationshipCommunication #ThaisGibson #PersonalDevelopmentSchool
Welcome to The Thais Gibson Podcast, where transformation happens fast and lasts a lifetime. Tune in for expert insights on breaking free from repetitive patterns, practical steps for reprogramming your subconscious mind, and empowering conversations that will inspire you to evolve into your best self across all aspects of life!