Attachment · Anxious
Protest Behavior Worksheet
A bid for connection wearing the wrong clothes
TherapistAssist
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Protest behaviour is what the attachment system does when contact feels threatened and a direct ask feels unavailable: excessive contact, withdrawal as a test, score-keeping, threatening to leave, making them jealous. It is a bid for connection wearing the wrong clothes.
My protest moves — be specific
What I was actually asking for underneath each one
What happens in the relationship after I do it
Why the direct version felt unavailable in that moment
The direct sentence, written out now while I am calm
How likely I am to use the direct version next time
nonemost
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What I want the other person to do when they see the protest move