If he's acting nervous, angry, frustrated when you share any type of feeling, you might be dealing with an emotionally unavailable man. They're not used to dealing with emotions and they will try to avoid it at all costs. It takes time to learn and understand empathy.
An emotionally unavailable person is also not receptive or supportive when you express your feelings. If your partner becomes uncomfortable, put off, frustrated, or withdrawn when you choose to open up and be vulnerable, this is an indicator that they're not good at handling emotions—both their own as well as yours.
An emotionally unavailable man may want many things. They could be in the relationship for sex, validation, for the comfort of having someone on speed dial, or just because every other person in their world is getting into a relationship. The emotionally unavailable man wants to keep things simple and casual.
Emotionally unavailable men are disconnected from their actions which are in contradiction with their words, and their inability to connect in an emotionally healthy manner means that they can't be into you in a healthy way.
Physical touch is a huge indicator of love and attraction!
He might not be touchy-feely; emotionally unavailable men aren't big fans of PDA, and that probably won't change right away when he falls in love. Still, he'll initiate physical closeness to show you that he has feelings for you.
One of the possible reasons why a man can turn emotionally unavailable is because of past hurts. When you ignore an emotionally unavailable man, there is a possibility that this could trigger an old trauma or hurt. Instead of him opening up or realizing, he might feel you're doing the same thing again.
An emotionally unavailable man really likes to keep things lighthearted, since that's the plane he wants to live on at this time in his life. So, flirting and making him chase you is a good approach to take, since he might be afraid if you seem too easy to catch.
Despite not committing to a relationship with you, the emotionally unavailable partner may still express that they don't trust you, as being emotionally unavailable often stems from a fear of getting hurt and this is their way of projecting that off of themselves and onto you.
Emotionally unavailable men will flirt with you on a regular basis. Some of them will do this just so they can, once again, prevent their vulnerability from happening. Others will do it simply because they prefer the chase rather than the catch.
If you need a lot of quality time, affection, and reassurance, an emotionally unavailable partner is not the right fit for you. If you find yourself constantly pursuing your partner for more intimacy and closeness, take a moment to really consider if you can do this for the rest of your life.
A need to chase after people who can't actually love tends to stem from unresolved childhood issues, or even trauma. Self-help is a good start, and there are wonderful books out there to help with things like codependency and attachment issues.
Most of the time no contact with an emotionally unavailable man or woman works because it gives them the space and the time they need to think about themselves and their relationship. Often dumpers do come back because they have had the time to reflect on their actions and emotions.
“When you meet someone who isn't emotionally available, you may notice that their communication behaviors are inconsistent, they pick and choose when they answer you or don't, wait stretches of time before they text you back, hoping to keep you on the line—and all of these are red flags.”
Emotionally distant men can view physical touch as overwhelming or unnecessary unless it leads to sex or is part of sex. They don't often initiate hugging, cuddling, or hand-holding. They might feel uncomfortable with public displays of affection or act put upon if you request physical affection.
He suggests his affection through his demeanor
He tends to lean toward you when he is emotionally attached to you. It means that he confides in you whenever he has any trouble and needs to vent. Usually, men open up about what they are going through only to someone they feel attached to.
“If you're emotionally unavailable, you may be drawn to others who are similar as it feels familiar. Likewise, if you grew up in an environment where emotions weren't often expressed you may find you're attracted to partners who replicate the environment you grew up in.”
Emotionally unavailable individuals are also quick to find excuses to explain why they are late to visit you, do not show up on dates, or have not spoken to you in a while. They may say that they are busy. But if they are constantly “busy” doing things and hanging out with people besides you, this could be a red flag.
No Contact is a technique that many people use when they are trying to get over someone who is emotionally unavailable. It is a way of cutting off all contact with this person so that you don't have to deal with the pain and hurt that comes from being around him. It works for some people, but not for others.
Jealousy is about a lot of things, including insecurity, immaturity, and fear. Emotionally unavailable men may experience jealousy more intensely because they bottle up their feelings.
It doesn't have anything to do with you or how they feel about you. If your husband or partner shuts down when you cry, for example, it may be because they don't know the best way to handle that display of emotions. It's not that necessarily they don't care about you or value your feelings.
The only way you can process your feelings is by 1) being real and staying real about who he is and 2) getting real with yourself. Your feelings for him are tied up in your lack of feelings for yourself. You would not invest so much time and emotion in an emotionally unavailable man if your self-esteem were better.