If the power dynamic in your relationship has become unbalanced and started causing issues, you may be stuck in a ‘push-pull’ cycle.
This cycle can be exhausting and difficult for both partners, but thankfully an expert has outlined exactly what to do if you’re looking to break this unhealthy pattern.
What is a push-pull relationship?
In this cycle, one person craves intimacy while the other actively avoids it, creating a shift in the power dynamic in the relationship.
It may begin with the avoider having less enthusiasm for the relationship and spending less time with their other half.
This prompts the person craving intimacy to begin to panic at the thought of losing their partner and being alone, therefore increasing the attention they pay them.
However, if the avoider continues to back further away while the other partner is actively looking for more effort, this creates a ‘push-pull’ cycle.
This cycle can present itself in a series of ways and the roles may continue to switch between the partners, yet it is nearly always toxic for everyone involved.
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How to get out of the push-pull cycle
Luckily, Michelle Begy, MD and founder of matchmaking service Ignite Dating, has all the answers, and it’s actually quite simple.
Speaking to Stylist, Michelle said: “If you are struggling with a push-pull relationship, try to maintain consistency in your own behaviour. It is tempting, and understandable, to react in kind but this will make things worse.”
