Attachment Disorder

Attachment disorder refers to a condition in which individuals have difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships with others due to a lack of attachment or bonding during their early years of life. Attachment disorder can result from neglect, abuse, or separation from primary caregivers during infancy or early childhood.

Attachment disorders are not very common and are the result of significant neglect and/or abuse within the first couple of years of life. While attachment disorders are uncommon all of us develop our attachment style between the last trimester and the first 2 years of life. Attachment styles refer to the patterns of behavior and attitudes individuals develop towards relationships based on their early experiences with caregivers. The concept of attachment styles was introduced by psychologist Mary Ainsworth in the 1970s and is based on the attachment theory proposed by John Bowly.

There are four main attachment styles:

  1. Secure attachment style: People with a secure attachment style are comfortable with emotional and physical intimacy, tolerate distance well, can communicate their needs and emotions effectively, and have stable and long-lasting relationships.

  2. Anxious/ preoccupied attachment style: Individuals with an anxious/preoccupied attachment style tend to be overly dependent on their partners and worry about the stability of their relationships because they typically have low self-esteem while viewing others more favorably.

  3. Avoidant/ dismissive attachment style: People with an avoidant/ dismissive attachment style tend to avoid emotional intimacy and value independence over close relationships. They often have a high view of self and a low view of others.

  4. Ambivalent attachment style: Individuals with an ambivalent attachment style have a mix of anxious and avoidant behaviors, often due to past experiences of trauma or abuse. Individuals with this attachment style tend to struggle more in relationships than others as this style tends to create a push-pull dynamic in relationships.

Attachment styles can change over time with healthy relationships, attachment-based therapies that increase awareness of one’s attachment style, and ways to manage unhelpful behaviors.