Conflict Avoidance: What to Do When Silence Becomes Stifling

If you engage in conflict avoidance, then you may be described as a conflict-avoidant person. The desire to avoid conflict in a relationship is common, but for very different reasons. First, involvement with a partner who is unable to perspective-take makes it nearly impossible to work out difficulties constructively. Understandably, a person may wish to avoid these nightmare fights by side-stepping the power struggles.

Your loved one may need additional assistance from an experienced clinician to deal with deeper, underlying issues beyond your control. If you see signs of alcohol and/or drug abuse, talk to an interventionist at New Method Wellness, a premier dual diagnosis treatment center which has received national recognition on Dr. Phil. Therapy can be invaluable for individuals seeking to understand and overcome conflict avoidance. Working with a mental health professional can provide a safe and supportive environment to explore the reasons behind avoidance behaviours and to develop strategies for change. We learn our conflict style from what we see and experience in our childhood homes. So, your answer probably depends on the conflict-management style of the family you grew up in.

Sandwich with Love, Confrontation, and Love

Self-awareness is a foundational skill in the journey to overcoming conflict avoidance. It involves developing a keen understanding of your internal landscape — your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations — and recognising how these elements influence your behaviour in conflict situations. Psychological and developmental factors also contribute to a tendency towards conflict avoidance. For instance, individuals with a how to deal with someone who avoids conflict history of anxiety disorders may find conflicts overwhelmingly stressful and opt to avoid them rather than face potential panic or anxiety attacks. Additionally, those who have observed or been part of traumatic confrontations may develop an aversion to any form of conflict, associating it with fear and a threat to safety. I talk a lot about the importance of doing the work before a conversation to better ensure success.

You should create your own list that is tailored to your particular fears and anxiety triggers. Be sure that the list starts with the easiest task and gradually works up to the hardest. The following brief list gives you some examples of items that you might place on a fear hierarchy related to conflict with others. You can practice these exposures either in real life (in vivo) or in your imagination to start. The idea is not to run out and start an argument with the first stranger you see. On the contrary, part of exposure training is to gradually immerse yourself in feared scenarios at a pace that you can tolerate.

Acknowledging Different Points of View

We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs. Additionally, cognitive dissonance — the mental discomfort experienced when holding two contradictory beliefs or values — can play a role. Individuals may shun confrontations that could challenge their beliefs or self-perception to avoid this discomfort.

• Vulnerability can improve emotional intimacy as it can help your partner understand you better.
• All it wants is to survive the current Israeli response so it will be back in position to strike again.
• As the session progressed, he’d grown even more oppositional.
• But there are plenty of folks who err in the other direction—by going out of their way to make sure they don’t find themselves in a conflict of any sort.
• Conflict avoidance is a common people-pleasing behavior but it can harm your growth, harm your relationships, and even impact your well-being negatively.

Vulnerability can improve emotional intimacy as it can help your partner understand you better. And it can help you feel more accepted and loved by your mate. I hope this article helped you understand what conflict avoidance is, how it might harm your well-being, and how to stop conflict avoidance. When individuals engage in healthy conflict, they are more likely to feel heard and understood, which can lead to increased commitment to group decisions and outcomes. It instils a sense of ownership and accountability, as everyone has the chance to contribute and shape the direction of decisions.