Our earliest relationships shape how we relate to the world and to each other. The bonds we form with caregivers in infancy and early childhood lay the foundation for how we trust, connect, and seek comfort throughout life. When these bonds are disrupted, inconsistent, or absent, it can lead to what’s known as an attachment disorder.
Attachment disorders are conditions that affect a person’s emotional development and interpersonal relationships. While these disorders often start in childhood, they carry over into adulthood. In fact, many people don’t realize they are dealing with an attachment disorder until they start receiving therapy as an adult.
At Spearhead Health, we believe understanding attachment is essential to uncovering the root of many mental and emotional health struggles. Let’s explore what attachment disorders are, why they happen, and the best treatment approaches.
What Is Attachment?
Attachment refers to the emotional bond that forms between a child and their primary caregivers, typically in the first year of life. This connection is crucial for physical and emotional survival. When caregivers are consistently responsive, loving, and reliable, children learn that the world is a safe place and that they are worthy of love.
There are four different attachment styles:
- Secure Attachment. A secure attachment is a healthy emotional bond formed in early life, where a child feels safe, understood, and comforted.
- Anxious (Insecure-Ambivalent) Attachment. This attachment style is where a child becomes overly dependent and fearful of abandonment.
- Avoidant (Insecure-Avoidant) Attachment. Here, a child learns to suppress emotional needs and avoid closeness.
- Disorganized Attachment. A disorganized attachment is where a child displays confusing and contradictory behaviors, seeking closeness but also fearing it.
While insecure attachment styles don’t always lead to disorders, they can become maladaptive when combined with trauma, neglect, or chronic stress.
What Are Attachment Disorders?
Attachment disorders develop when a child’s early relationships are severely disrupted, often due to neglect, abuse, or emotional unavailability. The two primary clinical diagnoses are:
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
Children with RAD have often experienced severe neglect or inconsistent caregiving. Symptoms may include withdrawn behavior, lack of emotional expression, and difficulty forming meaningful connections.
Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder (DSED)
DSED is also linked to neglect, but it presents itself differently. Children with DSED may be overly familiar with strangers, lack boundaries, and show little fear of unfamiliar people or settings.
Left untreated, these disorders can lead to long-term challenges in trust, emotional regulation, and interpersonal relationships.
How Attachment Issues Show Up in Adults
Attachment disorders don’t just fade with age. Many adults struggle with the emotional aftermath of insecure or disrupted early attachments, often without realizing it. Signs may include:
- Fear of intimacy or abandonment
- Difficulty trusting others
- Emotional numbness or volatility
- Patterns of unhealthy or codependent relationships
- Chronic loneliness despite being around others
At Spearhead Health, we often see clients who are seeking therapy for anxiety, depression, or relationship issues, but upon deeper exploration, the root causes trace back to early attachment wounds.
Healing Is Possible
The good news is that attachment wounds can be healed. With the right support and therapeutic approach, individuals can learn to form secure, healthy connections, even later in life.
Spearhead Health can help align you with the right therapies for your needs, such as attachment-based therapy, psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). These therapies will help you process early relational trauma, develop self-awareness, and build healthier patterns of connection.
You’re Not Broken—You’re Human
If you recognize yourself or a loved one in the signs of attachment difficulties, know that you’re not alone. The bonds we didn’t get early in life don’t have to define our future. Healing starts with awareness, support, and the courage to build new kinds of connection. At Spearhead Health, we’re here to walk with you on your path to emotional wellness. Contact us today at (310) 561-1704 to schedule a confidential consultation.