Healthy attachment forms in childhood when primary caregivers respond to the needs of the child with empathy and sufficient nurture. As a result the child is able to develop a sense of safety and belonging in the world and a secure sense of self. Disruption to healthy attachment occurs during abuse, neglect, separation because of illness or other types of trauma and leads to a lack of essential bonding at the crucial early stage of development.
Types of behaviour associated with disruption to healthy attachment can be defined as follows:
Inhibited Type:
- Detached
- Resistant to comforting or unresponsive
- Withdrawn
- Avoidant
Disinhibited:
- Attention seeking
- Indiscriminate sociability
- Violates social boundaries
- Inappropriate behaviour
- Lack of development of conscience
(Definition of types of behaviour associated with developmental trauma of poor
attachment taken from www.villagebh.com)
Posted in: Glossary