When a child is born it naturally develops a strong bond with its parents or caregiver, this bond is extremely important as it allows children to develop trust in a safe and secure environment. Children rely on their parents or caregivers to provide them with food, shelter, comfort and safety. This helps them to develop the confidence to try new things and deal with new situations and experiences.
It is usually established between the ages of six to twelve months and is the basis for developing relationships in the future. Children who develop strong bonds early in life are generally more confident and independent, which allows them to make better relationships in the future, and better able to cope with stress.
Attachment disorder is a generic term, which is used to describe the types of emotional or behavioural problems that children can develop, when they have failed to bond or make an emotional attachment to their parents or caregivers. Symptoms of attachment disorder will develop in the first five years of their life but are not generally diagnosed if the child has autism.
Causes of attachment disorder
Attachment disorder whilst rare is a serious mental health condition, there is no single cause for its development, but most cases will involve some form of abandonment, neglect or abuse. Children who are most at risk of developing the condition are likely to have suffered or experienced:
- Prenatal or childhood exposure to alcohol or drug misuse
- Were separated from their parents as a child, and were brought up in care, or were fostered and had a variety of different caregivers
- Food insecurity
- Had a deprived childhood or suffered from physical or mental neglect
- Their parents or caregiver died
- Suffered from physical, emotional or sexual abuse
- Had parents who suffered from serious mental health conditions
Children instinctively want the love and affection of their caregiver, as they rely on them to provide their basic needs. Experiencing the examples above, can result in them feeling they were abandoned, and leave them unable to trust adults. This can result in them feeling the world is insecure, as they failed to develop the bonds they needed, to be able to trust and feel secure enough, to make strong relationships as they grow.
Types of attachment disorder
Whilst attachment disorder can occur in adults, it is almost always diagnosed in children and there are two types of attachment disorder:
Reactive attachment disorder
Can develop as a result of trauma, neglect or mistreatment and occurs in early infancy. Children will fail to seek comfort, and avoid physical contact, and may even respond violently if held or comforted. They will struggle to form emotional attachments or experience positive emotions, and are often irritable and hypervigilant, they can also develop hyperactivity, anxiety and depression.
Disinhibited social engagement disorder
Children with disinhibited social engagement disorder are unlikely to tell their caregivers if they leave a designated or safe area. They won’t care if their caregiver is no longer present and will happily go exploring. They can potentially put themselves in danger, as they are overly friendly with strangers and feel comfortable in seeking attention or comfort from them. They are unaware of the potential dangers involved with strangers and tend to be overly friendly with people.
Symptoms of Attachment Disorders
Symptoms of attachment disorders will vary dependant on the severity and type of disorder they have.
Symptoms of reactive attachment disorder
- Reacting violently to being held, cuddled or comforted
- Problems experiencing positive emotions
- Mood swings
- A tendency not to smile
- Rarely seeking comfort when they are upset, or responding when it is given
- Wanting to make their own decisions
- Being sad or listless
- Watching people closely but not engaging socially
- Behavioural problems
- Having no interest in playing with others
- Being withdrawn, sad, fearful or irritable
Symptoms of disinhibited social engagement disorder
- Lacking shyness or fear in the presence of strangers and seem excited to meet them
- Wandering away from their parents or caregiver
- Impulsive behaviour or hyperactivity
- Approaching strangers without asking their caregiver first
- Being overly affectionate with strangers and be willing to go with them without fear or anxiety of leaving their carer
- Are extremely friendly and chatty
- Have decreased motor skills and social functioning
Treatment
Getting an official diagnosis is important as symptoms and behaviours of attachment disorders can be mistaken for normal development in childhood or adolescence or other underlying conditions.
Whilst attachment disorder only affects children it’s believed that unresolved attachment issues can cause significant problems in adulthood. Treatment options are available for both children and adults and there are a variety of therapies that can be used to treat it. It’s important to feel comfortable with your therapist which can be challenging for people with attachment disorders. Therapy can vary dependent on the age of the patient and the severity of their symptoms and can include one or a combination of therapies such as:
Play therapy
Can help children focus their attention and feel like they are having fun, whilst teaching them important social skills and how to better express themselves.
Family therapy
Depending on the circumstances, the parents and child would attend, and the therapy looks to not only help the child to form a bond with their parents, but to teach the parents how best to aid their child’s recovery. Positive interaction is encouraged through the use of games and activities.
Parenting skill classes
It’s important to educate parents and caregivers about attachment disorder as well as helping them to develop parenting skills which can help them to ensure the child’s recovery progresses.
CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)
More beneficial for older children or adults, CBT can help people come to terms with negative past experiences, and to develop positive thinking and behaviours as well as healthy coping mechanisms.
Emotion focused therapy
Can be successful with children as it teaches them to name their emotions and validate them, in order to better regulate them. The emphasis is on working through your emotions rather than supressing them and to find the best way to have their needs met. Written by Jan, Jeana and Wendy at Barnsley Hypnosis and Counselling (UK). For more free information click above link.
Keep learning, keep growing. Explore more in our articles.
