Understanding Attachment Issues and Disorders

April 6, 2020

Many people who are recovering from addiction have unresolved issues such as trauma or mental health disorders. One of these types of disorders, called attachment disorder, is used to describe people who have difficulty connecting with others and forming friendships and relationships with them. For most people, an attachment disorder develops as a baby or child, when they had trouble connecting with their mother, father, or other caregivers for a variety of reasons.

Attachment disorders are a genuine problem that can affect people throughout their life, causing them problems in their daily lives because of the dysfunctional relationships that they can cause.

Many people who have a problem with addiction or other mental health disorders have attachment issues. Finding a way to have healthier relationships helps people begin to heal from them.

What Causes an Attachment Disorder?

Just like some other mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress, an attachment disorder can often stem way back to childhood. Some people who experience it may have experienced neglect or abuse, but this is not always the case.

An attachment disorder may form for other reasons, such as trauma or environmental issues. For example, a child with a single parent may have to work long hours and have little time to spend with them daily.

Why Do People Develop Attachment Issues?

Children from birth to adulthood, are dependent on their guardians to help provide for them. Babies will cry or hold on tight to their parents when they’re scared or in need of attention. They will cry when they need a diaper change or are hungry. If the parent or caregivers don’t react to a baby or meet their emotional needs, there may be trouble with forming attachments. These issues can continue throughout life.

Eventually, these behaviors can translate to social skills for children, and then later in adults. Some people have trouble growing into new actions as adults because their needs went unmet as children.

Therapy or treatment can help a person begin to heal from attachment problems and form healthier relationships. Everyone deserves to have healthy, fulfilling relationships, but when a person suffers from attachment issues, they may have trouble understanding what that entails.

Many people in recovery from addiction have attachment issues to a certain extent. Addiction is a lonely disease, and many people self-medicate out of loneliness or to numb the pain of their dysfunctional relationships.

Getting Help for Addiction

If you or somebody you love suffers from addiction, you’re not alone. You deserve to take your life back and begin healing from the pain of addiction. We help people from all walks of life begin the journey to recovery. Learn more about our programs and how we can help by calling us at (855) 409-8869.