avoidant how to love or leave a dismissive partner

UK Reviews of “Avoidant” and “Bad Boyfriends”
Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

One of my correspondents told me he had written a review of Avoidant on the Amazon UK site, so I looked, and found both his and a new one from someone else about Bad Boyfriends.

On Avoidant:

5.0 out of 5 stars

The book I needed more than any other.

I found this to be an incredibly helpful book, not because I am in a relationship with an avoidant, but because I AM an avoidant. Like most men with this issue, I had absolutely no idea I had a problem, but after years of short-term relationships and distressing break-ups I realised something was wrong — with me.

I feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon this book and I simply couldn’t put it down. It manages to detail the causes of this devastating problem in an easy to understand way with many excellent references including several detailed scientific studies. Far from being just another flimsy self-help read about relationships, this not only pulls no punches in explaining the cause and effect of ‘avoidant’ behaviour, but it also sets out genuine practical steps to help those affected move forward.

‘Avoidant’ has quite possibly saved me from a life of heartache, confusion and loneliness and I urge anybody who thinks they may have problems with intimacy and commitment to be brave enough to start reading. It may hold up a mirror to your behaviour and help you overcome a problem you weren’t even aware that you had. An essential book.

On Bad Boyfriends:

5.0 out of 5 stars

Highly Recommended
By Olive Green

I have never left a review of a book that I’ve bought on Amazon before, but I had to leave one for this book. I have found it extremely useful to read. It is well-researched, clearly written and an excellent introduction to the idea of how the relationships we grow up with in our families influence the relationships we form as adults. I wish I had read it many years ago! I have to say though, it’s a shame about the title. The content is far more serious and scholarly than the title suggests.

I agree the title is unserious; it was designed to get noticed in a crowd of other books. A title that says “serious book” is likely to be avoided by 2/3 of the audience this was written to reach….

“Avoidant”: Testimonial from an Avoidant
Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

I get emails from people who have read the books commenting about how they apply them to their own issues. This one is heartfelt but free of any specific issues that could identify the author, so I can post it with my reply:

I have just finished “Avoidant” and wanted to say that I found it incredibly helpful and somewhat emotional. Truth is, I am an avoidant, or at least one in recovery. After ending a relationship (of course) I started to realize something was very wrong with me, but struggled to work out what the problem was. I am 42 and have a history littered with short term relationships — I am almost a cliche of an avoidant. After searching endlessly and getting a hint I had something of a fear of commitment, I finally started to find out about attachment theory which ultimately led to your book.

On finding out I had this problem I was initially devastated, not only because it made me confront the hurt I have caused, but also because there is little sympathy for people like me. We are cast, rightly so I guess, as the boyfriends to avoid, men who are troubled, broken, and unreliable with little hope. There is always a lot of help for those in relationships with avoidants, but very rarely any help or support for those like me who have the problem. At least in your book you detailed ways in which people like me can begin to change, so thank you for that.

I have been in therapy for 6 months now and am determined to change my ways as much as I possibly can. I’m very emotional writing this, so at least that must be a good sign that I’m in touch with my feelings 🙂

Anyway, I hope this email finds you well and thank you for an enlightening book. Hopefully, your words will help heal and change a lost, confused soul into one capable of being in a loving relationship.

My answer:

Thank you for the heartfelt letter. I really appreciate it when people tell me they’ve found my work helpful. You made my day….

My piece of advice for you is not to regret too much. You have recognized the problem and are working on it. Keep at it — 42 is still young, you have half a life left to experience being more in touch with your feelings. I know all too many edging on 60 who will never examine themselves.

Recognize that your defense mechanism of blocking negative feelings kept you from hurting, but also kept you from learning. Not being able to process those feelings left you less capable of making good decisions of all sorts.

The unblocked you will pick up skills rapidly and is more likely to succeed at everything, but especially at finding and keeping a good partner. No point in feeling bad about in some sense starting out anew at 42 — there will be somebody out there who was similarly trapped and just getting freed up.

Good luck with the work. Being able to absorb the book and write this means you are most of the way along!

Amazon link: Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

Another Review: “Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner”
Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner got its second Amazon review a few hours after the first! Maybe the first reviewer suggested it for a friend? In any case, I love getting good reviews like this:

5.0 out of 5 stars If only this book came out sooner…
November 12, 2014
Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This book saved my life. I’ve read nearly all the books out there on attachment theory — this one by far is one of the best. Similar to the previous review, I struggled for nearly a year in trying to understand why my relationship fell apart out of nowhere. It was the most painful and traumatic experience I ever had.

I’m grateful for Jeb Kinnison for writing this book and explaining in very clear, yet detailed terms, why avoidants act the way they do. The man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with turned out to be a fearful avoidant. Up until reading this book I thought our breakup was entirely my fault. This book turned out to be the only thing that gave me answers and ultimately true comfort. I really enjoyed how the author went into describing the many scenarios and/or conversations that are common with dating an avoidant — many of which I experienced first hand. This book is legit — it’s the real deal. Save yourself from heartache and pain. Read it again and again. You’ll be happy you did when you finally end up in the healthy and everlasting relationship you deserve.

Review: “Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner”
Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner

Avoidant: How to Love (or Leave) a Dismissive Partner is selling well, about 200 copies in the month it’s been for sale, but I made no special effort to get people to review it–and not one of those 200 buyers did! Until today.

Apparently Amazon customers are no longer taking the time to review books–less than 1% do. This is bad, because Amazon reviews are one of the few indicators of quality left, and if there aren’t many, the ratings can easily be skewed by trolls who sadistically leave one-star reviews and trash your work.

Only a few newspapers and magazines still do book reviews, and those are almost entirely of the legacy-publisher-with-connections and PR variety. If a book becomes news itself after selling well, as 50 Shades of Grey and Wool did, then it will get coverage, otherwise not.

I was very pleased with this reader’s review:

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars easy to understand November 12, 2014
By Twixt
Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

I found this book to be tremendously helpful. It provided a level of insight into the dynamics of my relationship after nearly a year of struggling to find answers from my partner about behavior I found unsettling. At some point in my struggle I arrived at the word ‘dismissive’ in my google searches, and this book came onto my desk.

The subject matter is in depth, easy to understand, and provides an objective matter-of-fact perspective on what is certainly one of the foundations interpersonal dynamics. I strongly suggest this book for anyone that is struggling to find understanding and clarity in an otherwise confusing and/or frustrating relationship … especially one that seems to be conflicting, hypocritical and misleading. It’ll help you understand what is going on, how to manage through it or how to move on.