Anxious-Avoidant Attachment: What It Is and Why the Cycle Repeats

Written by Michelle Konstantinovsky Medically Reviewed by Dr. Chaitanya Pabbati, MD Anxious-avoidant attachment (often called “fearful-avoidant” attachment) is characterized by a push-pull pattern of craving closeness with another person but simultaneously fear the moment closeness arrives. That can initiate a need to pull away, seek reassurance, or even end a relationship.