Healthy Attachment Theory

Corbin (2007) describes reactive attachment disorder as a biopsychosocial disturbance of attachment. There is interconnectedness between the brain and body which helps explain the development of relationships. Reactive attachment disorder has been known to be caused by a primary caregiver’s lack of affection where, in turn, the infant or child experience neglect or abuse, difficulty coping, inability to function in families, at school or with peers (Taylor, 2002; Wimmer, Vonk, & Bordnick, 2009; Becker-Weidman, 2006 ). In a recent case study, a child diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder had a background of their biological parent being a cocaine and an alcohol addict, therefore, causing the child to exhibit symptoms such as demanding behavior, social isolation, lying, lack of cause and affect reasoning, and non-engaging and unaffectionate with adopted parents.

Growing up with substance abuse parents can potentially put the children at risk for developmental deficiencies. Parents who are substance dependent are oftentimes focus on themselves over their children, and this leads to neglecting the children. Without the attachment with the parents, children are lack of security and trust to explore the outside world. According to Erik Erikson, children develop at different stage. Infants are totally dependent on their parents. If parents provide the good care and support to the children, they will develop the basic trust to their parents and the world, otherwise, they will feel insecure and develop mistrust instead. This mistrust may cause problems later in life. As children begin to grow and navigate the challenges of adolescence, parental substance abuse has a direct impact on their well-being, as well as their behavior. Teenagers are eager to seek their identities. Yet, growing up with mistrust, inferiority, and shame

The importance of a healthy attachment in early childhood development can lead to a better adult development and skills for daily life. A secure and healthy attachment to the caregiver in infancy to adolescence showcases the importance of building strong relationships and coping skills during periods of stress and anxiety. The research that has been found, goes into detail about the different types of attachments that infants and children can develop as well as what negative and positive aspects come along with the attachments.

The majority of children living in a dysfunctional family with a drug addicted parent will not develop a secure attachment with another individual, where the relationship revolves around intimacy and mutual understanding. Parents who are codependent on each other have learned to regard the dysfunction as normal, and their children could be susceptible to numerous scenarios. They could become the target of their parent’s abuse, either sexual or physical. The children of codependent parents could easily gain access to drugs or alcohol since no one is paying attention to the child. The codependent parents are preoccupied with the alcoholic or drug addicted parent, and they might never bother to realize their child is in grave danger. The codependent parent’s children might never recover fully from the trauma, abuse, or neglect inflicted on them. In addition, the children learn to become adults who repeat the vicious cycle of domestic violence or abuse themselves. Children of codependent parent might grow resilient despite

Infant attachment is the first relationship a child experiences and is crucial to the child’s survival (BOOK). A mother’s response to her child will yield either a secure bond or insecurity with the infant. Parents who respond “more sensitively and responsively to the child’s distress” establish a secure bond faster than “parents of insecure children”. (Attachment and Emotion, page 475) The quality of the attachment has “profound implications for the child’s feelings of security and capacity to form trusting relationships” (Book). Simply stated, a positive early attachment will likely yield positive physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development for the child. (BOOK)

Bowlby’s work on attachment theory shows infants treated well develop a secure attachment. Hence they have a good foundation for healthy self-esteem, behavior, and future relationships (Barnet, Ganiban, & Cicchetti, 1991). If the infant develops an insecure bond with the caregiver, they may develop mental disturbances (Cicchetti, Ganiban, & Barnett, 1991). Mary Ainsworth, Bowlby’s contemporary, applied Bowlby’s theory in her research. In 1978, Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, and Wall, created the strange situation technique to study one year old infant attachments (as cited in Colonnesi et al., 2011, p.631). Results of their analysis led to three categories of attachment. They distinguished a secure (B), an insecure avoidant (A), and insecure ambivalent attachment (C)

Although secure attachment during infancy is the foundation for continued healthy positive development during the lifespan, it is important to understand that other factors can have a significant effect on development later in life (i.e. illness, loss, and trauma). However, research has shown the importance of consistent care giving that is responsive and nurturing and the caregivers’ ability to effectively accommodate more difficult temperament characteristics ,as well as other factors, influence the development of healthy attachment{{64 Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian 2003}}. Research has also shown that infancy and early childhood is the period of development where scaffolding begins and continues (Vygotsky, 1978; Zhao & Orey,1999).

Barbara M. Newman and Philip R. Newman (2009) stated, “Infants who have a secure attachment actively explore their environment and interact with strangers while their mothers are present” (Newman & Newman, 2009, pg. 153). Most children will form a secure attachment with their mothers or other caregivers, and use their figure as a foundation. Finally, children will tend to have more positive social interactions with peers as they grow older and

Parental attachment, defined as a persevering emotional bond and involved interaction between parent and child, has not been critically studied with respect to the development of substance use disorders (SUDs) (Zhai, Kirisci, Tarter, & Ridenour, 2014). One probable reason for this is the consideration that attachment is generally established by two years of age and the manifestation of SUDs often appears nearly two decades later (Zhai et al., 2014). Therefore, long-term documentation is necessary to track the influence of parent-child bonding on SUDs and SUD etiology (Lander, Howsare, & Byrne, 2013). Additionally, there are several factors occurring during the developmental period, which have an impact on

Attachment, nurturing, and socialization is the foundation that holds together any family. However, substance use disorders (SUDs) impact individuals and their family members which requires a great deal of responsiveness at the very start of the disorder. Whether it’s directly or indirectly, everyone in the family is affected by the individual that abuses the substance. The family member(s) can be affected by the individual through developmental, emotional, attachment, and violence. Approximately, 3 million reports of child abuse are reported every year and of that 899,000 are reported victims due to substance abuse. Children are a product of their environment and in many cases they are at risk of becoming the abuser themselves.

This essay will discuss how parents and carers can support the early emotional needs of their child. Parents or carers are usually defined as the primary caregivers for the child (e.g. biological parents, foster carers) and they have a considerable influence on the child’s emotional development. This discussion will focus on the role of the mother in meeting a child’s early emotional needs and will draw on maternal sensitivity and responsiveness, attachment theory and factors that can affect the quality of attachment. It will also briefly discuss the role of fathers. Adequate support for a child’s emotional needs start from birth.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) reported that more than eight million children younger than age 18 live with at least one adult who is struggling with substance abuse, a rate of more than one in 10 children. The majority of these children are younger than age 5. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2010). Children that have one or more of their parents that are addicted to drugs are at a higher risk for negative experiences in their lives compared to children that do not, including poorer health, risk for harmful behaviors, physical and mental delays, and a higher susceptibility to using substances themselves. The development of attachment theory by psychologist John Bowlby and family systems

Impaired attachment issues can play a significant role in family systems with addiction. According to Evergreen Consultants in Human Behavior. “Attachment is the result of the bonding process that occurs between a child and caregiver during the first couple years of the child 's life. The first year of life is the year of needs. The infant 's primary needs

In the first few months of life, the sole purpose of any child’s behaviour is to survive. This, more often than not, results in actions that reduce the risk of harm and increase the chances of longevity. Of these behaviours, some argue that the most influential is attachment behaviour. “Attachment behaviour is any form of behaviour that results in a person attaining or maintaining proximity to some other clearly identified individual who is conceived as better able to cope with the world”(Bowlby, 1982). Therefore, children will make an effort to stay close to and under the protection of their primary caregiver. According to Webster, “through interactions with their primary caregiver, the child develops expectations and understandings about the workings of relationships. These mental representations of relationships become internalized to the degree that they influence feelings, thought and behaviour automatically and unconsciously” (1999, p.6). Moreover, the response of the identified individual plays a huge role in the child’s perception of the outside world. If the caregiver responds to the child’s needs in a caring and protective manner, the child will feel safe and comfortable in his or her surroundings. If, on the other hand, the caregiver is often emotionally and/or physically unavailable, the child is likely to

Attachment theory is a concept that explores the importance of attachment in respect to direct development. “It is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another across time and space” (Bowlby, 1969; McLeod, 2009). It is the relationship that develops within the first year of the infant’s life between them and their caregiver. The theory also relates to the quality of the attachment that is shown in the behavior of the infant (Rieser-Danner, 2016). Attachment theory shows that infants need a close nurturing relationship with their caregiver in order to have a healthy relationship. Lack of response from the caregiver