Attachment & BondingAttachment & Bonding

The Basis for Attachment The Basis for Attachment DisorderDisorder

• John Bowlby – the father of John Bowlby – the father of Attachment TheoryAttachment Theory

• Believed that separations from the Believed that separations from the birth mother were disastrous birth mother were disastrous developmentally because they developmentally because they thwarted the instinctual needs of the thwarted the instinctual needs of the child and created distorted child and created distorted attachment behaviourattachment behaviour

• Attachment is...a natural, biological Attachment is...a natural, biological drive for a child to seek proximity to, drive for a child to seek proximity to, and contact with, a specific figure and contact with, a specific figure (parent or caregiver) when (parent or caregiver) when frightened, tired or illfrightened, tired or ill

• Children typically develop 1 of 3 Children typically develop 1 of 3 different types of attachment different types of attachment behaviours:behaviours:– SecureSecure (consistent; appropriately (consistent; appropriately

developed)developed)– AmbivalentAmbivalent (inconsistent) (inconsistent)– Avoidant attachment Avoidant attachment (not comfortable (not comfortable

with others; nor desirous to be with with others; nor desirous to be with others)others)

WHAT IS YOUR WHAT IS YOUR ATTACHMENT STYLE? ATTACHMENT STYLE? FIND OUT …FIND OUT …

What’s your attachment What’s your attachment style?style?

• A - ‘I am somewhat uncomfortable A - ‘I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others; I find it being close to others; I find it difficult to trust them completely, difficult to trust them completely, difficult to allow myself to depend on difficult to allow myself to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone them. I am nervous when anyone gets too close and often love gets too close and often love partners who want me to be more partners who want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable.’intimate than I feel comfortable.’

What’s your attachment What’s your attachment style?style?

• B – ‘I find it relatively easy to get B – ‘I find it relatively easy to get close to others and am comfortable close to others and am comfortable depending on them. I don’t often depending on them. I don’t often worry about being abandoned or worry about being abandoned or someone getting too close to me.’someone getting too close to me.’

What’s your attachment What’s your attachment style?style?

• C – ‘I find that other people are C – ‘I find that other people are reluctant to get as close as I would reluctant to get as close as I would like them to. I often worry that my like them to. I often worry that my partner doesn’t really love me or partner doesn’t really love me or won’t want to stay with me. I want won’t want to stay with me. I want to get very close to my partner , and to get very close to my partner , and this sometimes scares people away.’this sometimes scares people away.’

• If you selected A – you’re expressing If you selected A – you’re expressing an avoidant, insecure attachment an avoidant, insecure attachment style (25 % of the population)style (25 % of the population)

• If you selected B - you are securely If you selected B - you are securely attached to your parents and are attached to your parents and are secure in your attachment to others secure in your attachment to others (55 % of the population)(55 % of the population)

• If you selected C – you are anxious-If you selected C – you are anxious-ambivalent (20 % of the population) ambivalent (20 % of the population)

Why is attachment Why is attachment necessary?necessary?• The first year is one of needs; The first year is one of needs;

EVERYTHING that a child needs must be EVERYTHING that a child needs must be brought to them for much of the first year brought to them for much of the first year of his/her life (if no one attends carefully to of his/her life (if no one attends carefully to these needs, the child lacks proper care)these needs, the child lacks proper care)

• This gratification (or satisfaction of the This gratification (or satisfaction of the need) stimulates the development of the need) stimulates the development of the trust process (remember Erikson- Trust vs trust process (remember Erikson- Trust vs Mistrust)Mistrust)

Why Might This Attachment Not Why Might This Attachment Not Occur?Occur?

• The care cycle may be undermined for The care cycle may be undermined for many reasons:many reasons:

• Multiple disruptions in care-giving (i.e. - Multiple disruptions in care-giving (i.e. - foster care)foster care)

• Maternal post-partum depressionMaternal post-partum depression• Hospitalization of the childHospitalization of the child• Parents who are attachment disorderedParents who are attachment disordered• Genetic factorsGenetic factors• Pervasive mental or emotional disordersPervasive mental or emotional disorders

What is Attachment What is Attachment Disorder?Disorder?

• Refers to people who have problems Refers to people who have problems in forming affectionate (trust) bonds in forming affectionate (trust) bonds with otherswith others

Symptoms include:Symptoms include:• Lack of eye contactLack of eye contact• Superficially engaging and charming Superficially engaging and charming

(phony)(phony)• Indiscriminately affectionate with Indiscriminately affectionate with

strangersstrangers• Not affectionate on parental termsNot affectionate on parental terms• Destructive to self, others & material Destructive to self, others & material

thingsthings• Cruelty to animalsCruelty to animals• Lying in the face of the obviousLying in the face of the obvious

• Low impulse controlLow impulse control

• Learning lagsLearning lags

• Lack of cause & effect thinkingLack of cause & effect thinking

• Lack of conscienceLack of conscience

• Abnormal eating patternsAbnormal eating patterns

• Poor peer relationsPoor peer relations

• Preoccupation with fire & gorePreoccupation with fire & gore

• Persistent nonsense questions & Persistent nonsense questions & chatterchatter

• Inappropriately demanding & clingyInappropriately demanding & clingy

• Abnormal speech patternsAbnormal speech patterns

• Sexually inappropriateSexually inappropriate

Prevalence of Attachment Prevalence of Attachment DisorderDisorder

• Rates are very high for those living Rates are very high for those living outside of the family system; living outside of the family system; living in child welfare systemin child welfare system

• As many as 50 % of all foster As many as 50 % of all foster children experience more than 1 children experience more than 1 placementplacement

• 34 % of maltreated children who are 34 % of maltreated children who are placed in foster care have 3 or more placed in foster care have 3 or more moves in their lives either from home moves in their lives either from home to foster home, or from foster home to foster home, or from foster home to foster hometo foster home

• Up to 80 % of high risk families Up to 80 % of high risk families (those with abuse, neglect, poverty, (those with abuse, neglect, poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse, domestic violence, history of maltreatment in parents’ history of maltreatment in parents’ childhood, depression, & childhood, depression, & psychological disturbances) create psychological disturbances) create severe attachment disorders in their severe attachment disorders in their own childrenown children

•Therefore, the less long Therefore, the less long term stability with primary term stability with primary caregivers, the greater the caregivers, the greater the increase in likelihood for increase in likelihood for Attachment Disorder Attachment Disorder