Insecure attachment
Insecure attachment is a behavioral pattern that often originates from childhood experiences marked by trauma, such as abuse or neglect. Individuals with insecure attachment may have encountered inconsistent caregiving, which can lead to difficulties in forming healthy relationships in adulthood. These attachment patterns manifest as intense fear of abandonment, feelings of dependency, and anxiety in interpersonal situations. Insecure attachment is classified into three main types: disorganized or disoriented attachment, anxious-ambivalent attachment, and anxious-avoidant attachment, each with distinct characteristics but common underlying issues related to fear and insecurity.
Children who develop insecure attachment may struggle to trust others and often expect to be hurt or abandoned, leading to behaviors that may seem contradictory or self-defeating. While the effects of insecure attachment can persist into adulthood, it is possible for individuals to break these patterns through understanding their past experiences and cultivating healthier relationships. Therapeutic approaches often emphasize the importance of supportive environments and positive relationships to foster healing and personal growth. Understanding insecure attachment can provide valuable insights into one's emotional and relational challenges, highlighting the profound impact of early experiences on adult life.
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Subject Terms
Insecure attachment
Insecure attachment is a pattern of behavior that stems from childhood trauma. Research has found that people who experience insecure attachment as an adult were often physically abused, emotionally abused, or neglected as a child. In many cases, individuals experiencing insecure attachment received inconsistent behavior from a parent or caregiver. They may have been unable to understand this behavior as a child, which may have led to negative behavioral patterns as a result.
People who suffer from insecure attachment patterns often feel intense fear when engaging in a relationship. They may fear that the other party will eventually hurt or leave them, and act in accordance with that fear. This may lead to feelings of dependence, paranoia, and insecurity. It can also lead to contradictory behavior, anxiety, and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Background
Insecure attachment is a specific type of attachment disorder. Attachment disorders are a group of psychiatric illnesses that are characterized by young children having significant difficulty forming emotional attachments to other people. The disorders first become apparent during early childhood, when children begin forming their first friendships and relationships with adults other than parents. However, the symptoms associated with attachment disorders can last into adulthood.
In many cases, children who exhibit symptoms of attachment disorders have experienced some type of abuse from a caregiver or parental figure. Some may have been physically abused, while others were emotionally abused or neglected. In some cases, placing children for prolonged periods of time with outside caregivers—such as in orphanages or foster care—has caused attachment disorders.
Most attachment disorders can be divided into two categories: reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED). Children suffering from RAD are less likely to interact with people. These children tend to have had negative experiences at a very young age, causing them to avoid contact with others. In many cases, children suffering from RAD appear to be irritable, afraid, or unhappy during everyday activities. They may avoid showing emotion and may not interact socially with others. Children with RAD may also have difficulty calming themselves once stressed.
Children suffering from DSED can exhibit symptoms that appear opposite from those suffering from RAD. Children may appear overly friendly and may immediately greet strangers in an affectionate manner, strike up conversations with strangers, or allow strangers to feed them. Additionally, children suffering from DSED tend to engage in these actions without first checking with their parents or caregivers.
Overview
The pervasive fear associated with insecure attachment disorders can cause extreme difficulty in forming healthy relationships. This can result in negative feelings and unhealthy behavior, such as dependency, insecurity, and paranoia. Psychologists believe that insecure attachment disorders—similar to other attachment disorders—result from improperly formed or negative relationships during childhood. They cite evidence that proves children who develop healthy bonds with their parents tend to have healthier relationships with others later in life. At the same time, children who have negative relationships with their parents tend to have difficulty with relationships later in life.
Insecure attachment disorders are commonly divided into three types: disorganized or disoriented attachment, anxious-ambivalent attachment, and anxious-avoidant attachment. However, all types of insecure attachment disorders present some common characteristics. For example, despite past examples, people with the disorders expect partners, friends, and family to harm or abandon them.
Disorganized detachment is commonly diagnosed in individuals who suffered childhood abuse. Like other forms of attachment disorders, this abuse can be physical, emotional, or based in neglect. Children who developed disorganized detachment were unaware of what to expect from their parents or caregivers. They knew that their parents or caregivers were supposed to protect them, but the adults in their lives provided inconsistent behavior and set poor examples for the children. The parents may have been affectionate and attentive one day, while acting in an abusive manner the next. Psychologists have found that children are unable to comprehend the reason for such changes and often imitate the examples as adults.
Individuals exhibiting symptoms of anxious-ambivalent attachment have an excessive need for affection and closeness. They quickly become dependent on other people and are extremely sensitive to rejection. In a relationship, they tend to focus too much on the problems inherent in the relationship. Focusing on the relationship’s problems causes them anxiety. For this reason, despite their intense need for closeness, they tend towards avoidant behavior.
People who exhibit symptoms of anxious-avoidant attachment have extreme difficulty establishing close relationships. They experience significant anxiety when they feel someone is becoming close to them, and often take steps to avoid such situations. In many cases, this phenomenon is confusing to people with anxious-avoidant attachment disorder. They may struggle to identify their own emotions, or may recognize the conflicting nature of their actions but be unable to provide any explanation. In many cases, people suffering from anxious-avoidant attachment disorder were taught in childhood that they cannot depend on anyone but themselves and have learned not to trust anyone.
Though behavioral patterns ingrained in childhood can be difficult to break, it is possible to change behavioral patterns as adults. Psychologists believe that there are several steps that must be taken in order to break these patterns. First, the individual in question must fully understand and experience the situations that caused these patterns. This often means experiencing unpleasant childhood memories to better understand the roots of the behavior. Over time, patients may learn more positive responses to childhood trauma so they can then begin to heal. A therapist can help an individual in taking these steps. People suffering from attachment disorders may also benefit from a partner with a healthy, consistent attachment style. In this environment, they may be able to learn more positive habits from their partner.
Bibliography
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