{"podcast":{"title":"Better Than Perfect | A Relationship Podcast","slug":"better-than-perfect-a-relationship-podcast-6707853","podcast_index_feed_id":6707853,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/ee6d9fa4/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://betterthanperfectpod.com","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_nologo/39901617/39901617-1701548451238-2395ff055476.jpg","author":"Nicole and John Sonmez","episode_count":138,"summary":"Each week, we show how two imperfect people helping each other grow equals one better than perfect relationship.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-11T04:20:36.703224+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-than-perfect-a-relationship-podcast-6707853"},"episode":{"title":"Why Avoidant People Sabotage Their Best Relationships [Ep 118]","slug":"why-avoidant-people-sabotage-their-best-relationships-ep-118","published_at":"2026-02-27T15:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-than-perfect-a-relationship-podcast-6707853/why-avoidant-people-sabotage-their-best-relationships-ep-118","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-than-perfect-a-relationship-podcast-6707853","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterthanperfect/episodes/Why-Avoidant-People-Sabotage-Their-Best-Relationships-Ep-118-e3f9483","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/ee6d9fa4/podcast/play/115691203/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-1-18%2F418351556-44100-2-40941d4391021.mp3","summary":"Why Avoidant People Sabotage Their Best Relationships Echo opens up about her avoidant attachment style and how she'd convince herself relationships were doomed at the first sign of conflict. John shares how he helped her break these self-destructive patterns by creating a safe space for real communication. This episode dives deep into avoidant attachment - the tendency to shut down, run away, or sabotage relationships when things get too intimate. Learn why \"I lost myself\" and \"they'd be better off without me\" are red flags, how childhood shapes these patterns, and most importantly, how to break free from the cycle of pushing away the people you actually want close. In This Episode Avoidant people self-sabotage by looking for proof their partner will disappoint them The perfectionism trap: expecting yourself and your partner to never make mistakes Why avoidants struggle with trust - they don't communicate, then resent their partner for not mind-reading \"Independence\" is often just avoidance in disguise You can't solve relationship problems alone in your head Creating safety means being non-reactive when your partner opens up Speaking your truth (even when it's scary) builds real trust Not taking things personally is the key to breaking avoidant patterns Timestamps 0:00 — Avoidant Attachment: What It Looks Like 0:44 — Welcome & Introduction to Attachment Theory 2:36 — Attachment Styles Are Models, Not Your Identity 4:04 — The Anxious-Avoidant Trap in Relationships 7:14 — How Avoidant People Self-Sabotage Love 9:56 — The Fear of Betrayal and Not Trusting Yourself 13:26 — Why Men Must Recognize Their Avoidant Patterns 19:00 — Building Resentment in Silence Then Blowing Up 24:28 — The Key to Becoming Secure: Self-Confidence 28:52 — How Avoidant People Try to Earn Love…","meta_description":"Why Avoidant People Sabotage Their Best Relationships Echo opens up about her avoidant attachment style and how she'd convince herself relationships were…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3956,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/better-than-perfect-a-relationship-podcast-6707853/episodes/why-avoidant-people-sabotage-their-best-relationships-ep-118/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/better-than-perfect-a-relationship-podcast-6707853/why-avoidant-people-sabotage-their-best-relationships-ep-118.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}