What Are Attachment Issues?: ‘Attachment’ describes the way you form emotional bonds with people. Some research suggests that your initial attachment to your main caregiver/s in infancy sets the pattern for how you form emotional bonds later in life. If you experienced ‘insecure attachment’ in infancy, you may find it difficult to form empathic, trusting and enjoyable relationships with people throughout your life or develop other types of mood or behavioural disorders.
Some factors connected with attachment issues (or sometimes called attachment disorders) can cause symptoms for insecure attachments with people more likely, for example, if your mother experienced depression during pregnancy, or if you experienced early separation from your parents, lengthy hospitalisation, trauma, neglect, or an otherwise difficult childhood.
Adults and teenagers who have experienced attachment-based issues in childhood can also develop an avoidant attachment approach to their relationships and often have a dismissive attitude, shying away from intimacy and finding it difficult reaching out to others in times of personal need.
Children with attachment issues can benefit from therapy that models healthy relationships and helps them explore ways to form healthy bonds with caregivers and develop ways to manage the symptoms of insecure or disorganised attachment. Modalities such as attachment-based counselling, play therapy, arts and drama and creative arts therapy can be particularly helpful for children.
