Children who have experienced attachment trauma may experience emotional disorders, such as emotional dysregulation, and may struggle with relationships as they get older. Attachment trauma is associated with developing insecure attachment styles. 4 The child feels alone and learns that others cannot be trusted. With attachment trauma, the caregiver is either not present, or is present but interacts in a way that leads the child to develop insecure attachment styles and different types of anxiety, such as separation anxiety, panic, and fear. In these instances, a child is left without a supportive, stable caregiver who can help them regulate distress. A loss of a parent to death, divorce, or abandonment can also cause attachment trauma. These traumas could be overt, like in cases of abuse, or more subtle, such as being emotionally neglected by a parent. 4 It involves a disruption in the attachment bond between a child and parent. The child feels safe, loved, and trusts that they can count on the parent to meet their needs.Īttachment trauma is a form of trauma that occurs when an infant or child’s needs for safety, closeness, and support are not met by a caregiver. Secure: This healthy form of attachment develops when a parent consistently responds to a child with love and warmth and soothes them when they are distressed.Children who develop a disorganized attachment style often grow up in families where abuse and substance use are present. Disorganized: This is another insecure attachment style that develops when a child is raised in an unpredictable environment with inconsistent caregivers, and can be considered a mix of anxious and avoidant attachments.People with an anxious attachment often struggle with separation. The child cannot trust that they will always be cared for, which creates anxiety. Anxious: This insecure attachment style develops when a caregiver is inconsistent.As a result, the child becomes detached and avoids closeness with other people as a way to cope. Avoidant: This is an insecure attachment style that develops when a child cannot count on a parent to consistently meet their needs.As a result, the child develops coping mechanisms to deal with the distress of not having their needs met, such as avoidance or extreme clinginess. When children are raised with caregivers who do not consistently provide care and support, they may develop an insecure attachment. This attachment style is associated with the best outcomes in childhood and adulthood. 3 A securely attached child feels that their caregiver is sensitive to their needs, loving, and is able to provide comfort and support if they are in distress. Types of AttachmentĪccording to experts, people develop attachment styles based on their relationships with early caregivers. This initial relationship with a caregiver lays the foundation for future relationships. 3 Attachment theory states that the quality of the infant/caregiver attachment impacts how a child connects with other people throughout their lives. 1,2 When a caregiver is attentive to a child’s needs, consistently provides warmth and support, and soothes them when they are distressed, the child feels securely attached. Attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby and later expanded on by Mary Ainsworth, refers to the connection between an infant and their caregiver.
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