What Is Attachment Disorder?

An attachment disorder manifests in either mood or behavioural difficulties associated with the ability to either build and/or maintain relationships with others.

Attachment disorders develop in childhood, but their effects may continue into adulthood whereby an adult may have difficulty trusting others and/or feeling safe and secure in relationships.

Attachment theory looks at how people form emotional bonds with others. How a person forms and maintains relationships is dictated by the interaction they had with their primary caregiver or parent in the early years of their lives.

Attachment disorders manifest in childhood as a result of a child being unable to access a consistent and secure emotional relationship with their parent or primary caregiver. While there are no official attachment disorders in adulthood, many adults present with attachment-related difficulties due to attachment disorders not being diagnosed in childhood.

The primary treatment for attachment difficulty is psychotherapy. In adults, both individual and couples therapy can be effective.

City therapy’s Approach to treating attachment difficulties:

• Individual psychotherapy will focus on helping the adult overcome negative childhood experiences. Typically, people with attachment issues may also have low self-esteem, poor emotional regulation and/or other mood disorders. Psychotherapy can also be effective for managing these issues.
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and other behavioural approaches may help people challenge negative thoughts and thinking patterns related to others and themselves.
• Couples therapy can be effective in helping individuals explore how attachment styles can impact their interactions and provide them with tools to overcome negative relationship patterns and support themselves.

Attachment related difficulties are common. If you feel like you may be experiencing difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships, a psychologist, psychotherapist will be able to help you look at your attachment style and explore if this is impacting on your understanding of and ability to form and maintain relationships.