It usually starts with something small.
They didn’t reply for 6 hours.
Your brain replies in 6 seconds.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Are they bored?”
“Am I too much?”
“Why am I like this?”
Congratulations—you just turned a missing text into a full-blown emotional disaster movie, starring anxiety, self-doubt, and overthinking.
As a Clinical Psychologist, I see this pattern daily. As a mind healer, I feel it deeply. And as a human being… I’ve been there too.
Welcome to the world of Gen Z dating, where love exists, connection exists, feelings exist—but commitment feels terrifying.
This is why situationships feel safer than relationships.
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Most Gen Z clients don’t say:
“I don’t want commitment.”
They say:
Inside, they feel:
In Hinglish bolun toh—
Dil chahta hai connection, par dimaag alarm bajata hai.
This isn’t emotional immaturity.
This is emotional self-protection.
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Here are common signs I notice in therapy sessions:
These patterns are often mislabeled as “commitment issues,” but clinically, they go much deeper.
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From a psychological lens, situationships often connect with:
1. Attachment Styles
Many Gen Z individuals show signs of:
This develops when early relationships taught the brain:
Love = unpredictability or pain
So the nervous system learns to stay half-safe.
2. Trauma and Stress Disorders (DSM-5 & ICD-11)
While situationships aren’t a diagnosis, they often overlap with:
Repeated heartbreak, emotional invalidation, or sudden abandonment can create relationship trauma responses.
Your brain isn’t broken.
It’s trying to protect you from pain it remembers.
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Research supports this shift:
High-volume SEO insights:
This generation didn’t stop believing in love.
They stopped believing in lasting emotional safety.
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Let me share a story (identity changed).
A 24-year-old client once told me:
“I don’t want commitment, but when they leave, it destroys me.”
She was stuck in back-to-back situationships.
During a session, she paused and said:
“Every time someone gets close, I feel like I’m about to lose myself.”
That was the moment.
She wasn’t scared of commitment.
She was scared of losing herself again, like she did in a past relationship where love meant self-sacrifice.
Healing didn’t start with dating advice.
It started with rebuilding emotional safety within herself.
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Here’s a small but powerful exercise:
Before entering or continuing a situationship, ask yourself:
1. Do I feel calm or constantly anxious?
2. Am I expressing my needs or silencing myself?
3. Do I feel chosen or just convenient?
4. Am I staying because of connection or fear?
Write the answers. No judgment.
This builds self-awareness, the first step toward secure attachment.
Small step. Big clarity.
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This exercise helps you see the pattern.
But healing requires:
A blog can open your eyes.
But transformation needs support.
And that’s okay.
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If this blog feels uncomfortably familiar…
If situationships leave you confused, anxious, or emotionally drained…
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
As a Govt.Recognized Counsellor & Mind Healer, I help individuals heal relationship wounds at the root—not just change dating behavior.
If you’re ready to feel emotionally safe again,
Book your 1:1 consultation here.
No pressure. Just support.
Because you deserve love that feels safe, not scary.
👉 Begin Your Journey with a 1 on 1 Consultation
👉 Begin Your Journey with a 1 on 1 Consultation
A situationship is an undefined romantic connection where emotional closeness exists but without clear commitment or labels. It often feels safe emotionally but creates confusion over time.
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Gen Z often prefers situationships due to fear of emotional pain, past relationship trauma, anxiety, and avoidant attachment styles. Situationships feel less risky than committed relationships.
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Situationships are not always unhealthy, but they can lead to emotional anxiety, overthinking, and insecurity if needs and expectations are unclear or unspoken.
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Yes, fear of commitment is common among Gen Z due to increased dating burnout, emotional instability, social media pressure, and past negative relationship experiences.
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People with avoidant or anxious attachment styles often choose situationships to maintain emotional distance while still craving connection, leading to push-pull dynamics.
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A situationship can turn into a relationship only if both individuals communicate openly, feel emotionally safe, and are willing to commit. Without clarity, it often remains stuck.
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Situationships can increase anxiety, emotional confusion, low self-worth, and stress, especially for individuals who desire emotional security and consistency.
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Healing begins with understanding attachment patterns, setting emotional boundaries, rebuilding self-worth, and seeking professional psychological support when needed.
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If fear of commitment, emotional avoidance, or dating anxiety repeatedly affects your relationships and mental peace, therapy can help identify and heal the root causes.
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A clinical psychologist helps by addressing emotional trauma, attachment wounds, anxiety patterns, and guiding individuals toward emotionally secure and healthy relationships.
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