Violation of attachment is often considered as an adverse event. Which is possible extreme options. It is considered a psychological pathology, disorder. Ainsworth and colleagues first studied affection for offspring. At the same time, a favorable, non-hazardous type and a couple of negative ones were identified. They were called anxious-ambivalent, avoiding forms.
Good and bad
If children do not have an attachment disorder, then a safe type is formed. This means that the younger generation perceives the mother as a foundation, a base that allows you to safely explore the world, expanding their own capabilities. Even if the mother is not nearby, such a child feels relatively comfortable. In his view, there is some internal maternal model. That is, the child represents that the woman will at any time respond to requests that she is always available. If we compare such a child with those who are inherent in negative variants of affection, you will notice that he fulfills maternal requests faster and more willingly, is inclined to work together. Conflicting behavioral reactions are noticeably less common in such children; they are not characterized by anxiety. Interaction with the mother allows you to control negative emotions. Social progress and emotional success are more successful than those with unhealthy forms.
Avoiding type
Such a violation of attachment in children is noticeable if the child demonstratively to a moderate degree evades communication with the mother. Such a minor deliberately suppresses his strong emotions, especially negative ones, in order to maintain close enough contact with the woman who gave birth to him. Mother, in turn, rejects overly intense contacts, tries to exclude too close interaction. This format of affection in case the mother leaves is characteristic in that the child is not upset. The child will not try by all means to organize close interaction with the mother. He explores the world around him on his own. In determining decisions and choosing behavioral reactions, such a child does not take into account what emotions his actions will cause in his mother.
Why it happens?
This type of attachment disorder is characteristic of the case when the mother is insensitive, does not pay due attention to the state of her offspring, when she seeks to exclude unnecessarily close contact with him. The avoiding type is characteristic of relationships in which a woman rejects her child. In the works of some psychologists, one can see a detailed analysis of symptoms indicating a woman's avoidance of close interaction with the child.
Among the symptoms is a lack of emotional attitude with mutual activity involving the child. A woman may know that at some point her child is bad, but his crying does not provoke her with an adequate response in an emotional state. If a child shows distress with obvious signals, the woman ignores them. In some families there is a reaction, but only in the case when the child shows his condition with a very loud cry or cries a lot. There is a likelihood of such a kind of attachment disorder as avoidance if a woman shows attitude to offspring somewhat stereotypically, if she pays enough attention to the hygiene and appearance of the child, ignoring the state of mind. In families that are characterized by such relationships, often the mother, communicating with the baby, perceives it more as inanimate. Such a woman can easily leave without informing the child about it, and in case of need to interact with him “face to face” she feels awkward, stressed, uncomfortable. She prefers indirect interaction or does not disdain to abandon the child alone.
Problems on both sides
A woman feels that her responsibilities as a mother are too great for her, does not stop the child when he is doing something dangerous, and seeks to teach him that age is beyond the capabilities of the minor. For the woman herself, such a state, such communication with the child is a source of stress and discomfort.
As the observations of psychologists show, attachment disorders, especially severe cases, quite strongly affect a person’s future. Emotional deprivation in childhood, improper care, incorrect organization of interaction can cause autism. All this contributes to the development of such deviations as avoiding attachment. The influence of factors is complex, and the more aspects that provoke such a violation, the higher the likelihood of developing a manifestation in a baby of the features inherent in autism.
Resistance type
Such a violation of attachment is also known as anxious ambivalent. The minor hardly perceives the need to be separated from his mother and eagerly waits for her to return, while the contact soon collapses due to aggressive reactions or outbreaks of affective behavior due to barely noticeable maternal errors in the interaction. So, if a woman briefly turned her attention and was distracted from the child, this provokes an undesirable answer on his part. A feature of ambivalent behavior is aggressive violent outbursts, unpredictable negative emotional outbursts, indicating a child's acute reaction to separation, including situations in which she does not face him. Currently, this type of violation has been studied very little.
Symbiotic type
Such a violation of attachment by some modern researchers is assessed as a kind of alarmingly ambivalent. In some sources, you can find the term "neurotic." This is due to the fact of frequent observation of improper attachment and the subsequent neurotic pathology, an unhealthy state. The symbiotic form is characterized by the tendency of the child to exclude contact with the mother visually, in voice. At the same time, the child strives for bodily interaction, literally sticks. A child can force his mother to carry it in her arms. If necessary, a minor is very upset. This applies even to situations where the duration of separation is only a minute or several.
As such a deviation develops, there is a likelihood of transformation of bodily contact into sexually colored. This is especially true of the case in which a woman encourages such interaction. For such a child, there is an obvious parallel between physical and emotional intimacy. If the child rejects the woman, he behaves aggressively.
Maternal behavior
The theory of attachment disorders says that ambivalent, symbiotic types of improper formation are characteristic of cases when a woman reacts unpredictably to her offspring, behaves inconsistently, trying to interact with a minor. She can relate to him as if he is seriously ill with something and needs a particularly large amount of care. At the same time, the child feels a lack of affection and attention, since maternal tension and anxiety are constantly present.
Among the features of maternal behavior is the selectivity of the response to distress signals. At the same time, the woman practically does not react when the child shows positive emotions. She tries to never part with her offspring, but may be hostile to him. From the observations of psychologists, it is known that the most typical format is negative affect.
Is there anything else?
In the last decade of the last century, scientists have been actively engaged in issues of attachment disorder in adults and children. And it paid off. In the works of Solomon and Maine, one can find a definition of another form of negative attachment characteristic of the younger generation in relation to the woman who brought him into the world. He was called disorganized-disoriented. A minor who is inherent in this form is characterized by unpredictability of behavior, inconsistency of reactions. If such a child is separated from the mother, an amazed expression can be seen on the face. Some walk around the room without purpose. But being next to a woman, the child shows timidity, can behave ambivalently. According to psychologists, in this case the child does not know whether it is worthwhile and whether it is possible to ask a woman for help, whether it is necessary to avoid her in order to be safe. To a greater extent, this is characteristic of cases when the mother reacts inadequately to what is happening, when the signals supplied by her through behavior confuse the juvenile. It is believed that maternal behavior is the main reason for the formation of disorganized-disoriented deviations.
Destructive affect
Among the types of attachment disorders, the one forming against the background of separation is distinguished. The term was first proposed by Ilyina. Her task was to qualitatively put into words the state of a person who is forced to adapt to society at a younger (preschool) age, while the process is extremely difficult. Destructive affect was called a persistent and strong negative reaction of a minor that appears when he feels himself in a dangerous situation. Such a child realizes that it is impossible to adhere to the previous level of interaction with the mother. As a result, negative emotions take over. Because of this, the ability to adapt to an updated environment is impaired.
About manifestations
Manifestations of violations of this type can be found in ICD-10. Here is information about extreme pathological forms. In ICD-10 you can find a description of reactive attachment disorder that is characteristic of children. It is given in relation to persons under the age of three. Psychologists, however, point to the fact that a similar pathological condition is characteristic in the first three years of a person’s existence, and later.
Among the key symptoms of attachment disorders are the contradictory behavioral reactions, the most pronounced when a minor parted with a loved one. He has a low mood, many are prone to sadness and apathy. Some are overly alert and fearful. If you try to calm such a child, he does not respond to this effect. Affective reaction is insufficient. Irregularities in interaction with peers are possible, in some, growth is slowed down, in others somatic diseases are revealed. Deviations in the development of attachment are indicated by aggression, fencing in response to distress (own, external).
About symptoms in more detail
Some signs of attachment disorders can be seen in the description of anxiety against the background of separation, the child's disinhibited development. The key manifestation of anxiety, separation anxiety - excessive distress, shown by a minor, suggesting excommunication from the object to which he is attached. Distress manifests itself both during separation and after it. The child cries, is alarmed, irritable, quick-tempered. He does not want to part with the one to whom he is attached, constantly worried, although there is no reason for this. He suggests that some dramatic circumstances may arise, due to which separation cannot be avoided.
Psychological trauma, violation of attachment can be indicated by nightmares. In case of anxiety, the plots of such visions are usually associated with separation. A repetition of somatic symptoms is possible if the child is forced to part with the object to which he is attached. Most often, in such situations, the stomach hurts, the person feels sick, vomits.
Brake form
With such a violation, attachment has no directivity, it is diffuse. A person is inaudibly sociable. It is difficult for him to form a deep affection. When the child is very small, he clings to the elders, seeks to become an object of universal attention. If the elder tries to set boundaries, rules of communication, the child interrupts the interaction with this person.
Causes and consequences
It is assumed that there is a wide variety of disorders that may sooner or later bother a person. Today, psychologists are convinced that the consequence of attachment disorders can be psychopathology. Studies have been conducted. They were designed to determine how mental pathologies and negative forms of attachment are related. Particularly curious are the works of Kerig and Venar, in which the authors prove that it is not possible to determine a unique relationship. The development of any minor involves an abundance of unique factors affecting his psyche. At the same time, there are both risky and safe ones. Accordingly, the considered form of negative attachment is one of the negative factors, but nothing more.
What to do?
Therapy of attachment disorders is more often considered in the aspect of communication with foster children, since for such families such problems are more characteristic than for all others, and it is these people who often seek specialized help from a psychologist. The only modern reliable way to help is with therapeutic education. As psychotherapists note, the key and basic rule of such education is to take care of oneself first of all, and then others. All parents must obey this rule. In addition, if it can be assumed that there are problems in the upbringing and formation of attachment, their exacerbation must be prevented. And if possible - the appearance.
One of the rules for treating attachment disorders is family interaction. All relatives should be a single team. It is known that minors with this problem tend to set some people against each other in order to avoid separation from those to whom they are attached. Equally important is a stable and safe home stop. In the conditions of his home, a child should feel emotionally stable. The feeling of a physical threat is unacceptable - it will only aggravate the situation. If the child has committed some offense, the task of the parents is to help the child learn an important lesson from this experience. The best option is to create consequences corresponding to the violation, with the manifestation of sympathy at the last moment of their onset.