About this episode

This episode explores the pursuit-withdrawal cycle in marriages and its impact on emotional connection.

What if the biggest problem in your marriage isn’t the topic you keep fighting about… but the pattern you fall into every time you try to talk about it? In this episode of The Divorce Decision Podcast, I’m breaking down the pursuit-withdrawal cycle — also called the demand-withdraw cycle — and why it can quietly create resentment, loneliness, panic, shutdown, and emotional distance in a marriage. This is the pattern where one spouse pushes for answers, connection, reassurance, repair, or chan...

People in this episode

Host: Kari Hoskins

Topics covered

• marriage
• communication
• relationship patterns
• emotional distance
• conflict resolution

Keywords

• pursuer
• withdrawer
• demand-withdraw cycle
• resentment
• emotional distance
• marriage communication

More episodes of The Divorce Decision Podcast

• Ep. 56: 3 Things Your Unhappiness Is Teaching You · July 16, 2026 · 22 min
• Ep. 55: Is Your Conflict Normal? 3 Questions to Ask Yourself · July 2, 2026 · 10 min
• Ep. 53: Hard Season or Marriage Crossroads? Here's How To Know · June 18, 2026 · 16 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Divorce Decision Podcast podcast page.