Being in a relationship with an avoidant is absolutely soul-destroying for someone who shows up with genuine feelings and intentions.
It is so painful because your nervous system isn't built for emotional distance. You show up with openness, vulnerability, and genuine love and their walls block the connection you're trying to build.
The mixed signals, the inconsistency, and the emotional shutdowns leave you questioning yourself instead of the dynamic. It's not weakness. It's the basic human need for safety, attonement, and reciprocityneeds a dismissive avoidant struggles to meet.