Attachment trauma may occur in the form of a basic interpersonal neglect (omission trauma) or in the form of physical, mental or sexual abuse (commission trauma). In many cases, both trauma types are combined. Attachment trauma often leads to a “disoriented- disorganized” attachment.
As a result of attachment trauma, you might carry beliefs that you are damaged, not lovable, or that you cannot trust anyone. You might have feelings of shame, unworthiness, or helplessness. Perhaps, you feel plagued by anxiety or believe that you don't belong in this world.
Attachment trauma may cause a greater susceptibility to stress, difficulty regulating emotions, dependency, impulsive behaviors, social isolation, trouble sleeping, difficulty with attention, and mental illnesses.
An attachment injury also could be more subtle and seemingly insignificant, such as being left out of a family photo, not getting a “happy anniversary” call during a deployment, or having a deployment homecoming experience that falls short of what one of you expected.
Attachment trauma can lead to insecure attachment in adults. People who have experienced attachment trauma may struggle in relationships, especially romantic ones. They may suffer from relationship anxiety and become fearful that their partner may leave, or they may stay distant and avoid intimacy altogether.
One of the best things you can do for healing attachment trauma is to try trauma-focused psychotherapy. You can read about effective types of therapy for trauma here. If you're looking for a therapist, consider checking out Psych Central's Find a Therapist resource for support in starting your therapeutic journey.
People with unprocessed attachment trauma often report similar patterns of behavior and somatic or psychological symptoms that affect the quality of their adult lives, including their choices in relationships. Yet, many may be struggling with the signs and symptoms of trauma without knowing it.
Avoidant, anxious, and disorganized are considered insecure attachment styles.
A person with an attachment disorder may have difficulty trusting others or feeling safe and secure in a relationship. As a result, they may have difficulty forming and maintaining friendships and romantic partnerships.
Three signs that a person has insecure attachment include the inability to engage in intimacy, struggling to form healthy relationships with others, and unpredictable or inconsistent behavior with loved ones.
The most difficult type of insecure attachment is the disorganized attachment style. It is often seen in people who have been physically, verbally, or sexually abused in their childhood.
The exact cause of attachment disorders is not known, but research suggests that inadequate care-giving is a possible cause. The physical, emotional and social problems associated with attachment disorders may persist as the child grows older.
For people with “attachment anxiety”—who yearn to be closer to their partners but never seem to get close enough—the day can be one of disappointment and feeling unloved. Attachment anxiety is the belief that you are not worthy of love and that your partner is likely to reject or abandon you.
Difference between love and attachment
Love evokes fond feelings and actions toward the other person, particularly. Attachment is driven by how you feel about yourself with the degree of permanence and safety someone gives you, based on your past relationships.
Attachment disorders are nearly always a symptom of C-PTSD. C-PTSD oftentimes looks like this: attachment issues and relationship struggles, intimacy issues, flashbacks, mood swings, anxiety, depression, addiction issues, eating disorders, personality disorder traits.
Early attachment trauma is a distressing or harmful experience that affects a child's ability to form healthy interpersonal relationships. It includes abuse, abandonment, and neglect of an infant or child prior to age two or three. These traumas can have subtle yet long-lasting effects on a person's emotional health.
Attachment trauma isn't rare, although it is widely unrecognized. Approximately 1 out of every 7 children in the U.S. suffers from abuse or neglect.
A feeling of shame; an innate feeling that they are bad, worthless, or without importance. Suffering from chronic or ongoing depression. Practicing avoidance of people, places, or things that may be related to the traumatic event; this also can include an avoidance of unpleasant emotions.
The attach/cry-for-help response is one of the earliest survival strategies a child develops to elicit help from a caregiver – but it can also be a defensive adaptation to trauma. According to some experts, it's the least understood of all defense responses and can be difficult to detect.
Bowlby identified four types of attachment styles: secure, anxious-ambivalent, disorganised and avoidant.