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Attachment disorder is a broad term that describes abnormal mood, behavior, and social relationships stemming from insecure attachment during infancy and early childhood. Teens with attachment trauma or insecure attachment disorders may struggle with relationships, trust, and self-esteem issues.
It’s crucial for teens to form healthy bonds with their parents or caregivers during their early development. This can influence their attachment style and relationship patterns throughout the rest of their life. Attachment can also play a role in a teen’s overall mental health. For example, teens with insecure attachment disorders may also struggle with negative self-esteem and feelings of anxiety or depression.
Read on to understand how to recognize insecure attachment in teens, the impact it can have on their mental health, and treatments that exist to support their recovery.
Understanding Secure Attachment in Teens
The theory of attachment, pioneered by John Bowlby, focuses on relationships with others and that the earliest bonds with parents or caregivers can leave lasting effects on our lives [1].
The negative effects of attachment insecurity tend to surface in romantic relationships later in life. However, they can also impact relationships with friends, coworkers, siblings, teachers, and peers.
There are several ways that help build secure attachments in kids and teens. These include:
- They feel physically and emotionally safe
- They feel like they are seen and heard
- They feel valued
- They receive comfort and reassurance during times of stress
- They feel protected and supported enough to explore their identities and the world around them
What is Insecure Attachment?
Insecure attachment refers to the negative effects on one’s life when one fails to form a secure attachment in their early developmental years. This can be caused by the inability to bond with caregivers or have experienced attachment trauma, such as neglect or abuse. Teens who experience attachment trauma tend to have low self-esteem, difficulty trusting, and struggle to form connections.
Some of the causes of attachment trauma include:
- Physical abuse: Hitting, burning, or excessive punishment
- Emotional abuse: Manipulation, rejection, constant criticism
- Sexual Abuse: Any form of sexual exploitation
- Neglect: When one’s physical or psychological needs are not met, this could include a lack of food, shelter, clothing, medical care, emotional warmth
- Grief or Loss: The death of a parent or caregiver in childhood
- Domestic violence: Witnessing a toxic or violent relationship in the home growing up between caregivers
Link Between Attachment Trauma and Mental Health Disorders
Current research indicates that attachment insecurity may be characterized by anxiety and avoidance. And are associated with disorders ranging from mild anxiety to severe personality disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) [2].
Teens with attachment trauma are also at an increased risk of several other mental health challenges, including:
- Complex Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
- Drug & Alcohol Abuse
Signs of Attachment Trauma in Teens
Although not always easy to spot, several signs may indicate a teen is struggling with insecure attachment. It’s important to recognize these to provide early intervention and improve treatment outcomes so the adverse effects of attachment trauma don’t follow them into adulthood.
Some of the signs of insecure attachment trauma in youth include:
- Negative self-perception or low self-esteem
- Struggle to form connections with other
- Difficulty trusting
- Inability to express emotions or emotional numbness (apathy)
- Co-dependence or hyperindepdence
- Uncomfortable giving or receiving affection
- Lack of purpose or sense of belonging
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mood swings
- Dissociation
Treatment for Attachment Trauma in Teens
As the field of trauma and early developmental science continues to grow, so do treatments that can support teens with healing insecure attachment disorders. Therapies for attachment disorder help teens process distress and experiences from early childhood. This may include working through emotions related to insecurity, fear, or abandonment.
Although each approach is different, they all follow the principles of trauma-informed care. This includes:
- Promoting a physically and emotionally safe environment
- Collaborating with patients and their families, allowing them to have a voice in treatment, and helping them feel empowered
- Open communication, transparency, and respect to build trust
- Focusing on the strengths of the teens to help guide treatment and build their self-esteem
- Validation, active listening, and support. Trauma-informed therapists who focus on attachment disorders understand that no experience is the same
- Developing positive coping skills to build resilience
Common Approaches
Some common evidence-based therapies used to treat attachment disorders in teens include:
- Attachment-Based Therapy focuses specifically on helping a child or teen build trust and express their emotions. It is often used with adopted children, children in foster care, or kids who have experienced neglect or abuse from a caregiver.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was initially designed for the treatment of complex trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It helps teens build emotional awareness and how it influences their behaviors. It also teaches distress tolerance, mindfulness, resilience, and skills to foster interpersonal relationships.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) teaches teens that their inner mind and emotions are made up of different “parts” often influenced by early relationships and their life experiences. It also focuses on self-energy and the 8 C’s: calmness, clarity, compassion, confidence, connectedness, courage, creativity, and curiosity.
- Animal-Assisted Therapies such as horse therapy, pet therapy, or farm therapy are a great approach to help teens build trust and skills for resilience. It can also help reduce their anxiety and manage chronic stress.
Teen Mental Health Treatment in Texas
At Clearfork Academy, our team of trauma-informed psychologists, psychiatrists, and licensed counselors understand the complex nature of diagnosing and treating symptoms of attachment disorder in teens.
Contact our admissions team today to see how we can support your teen and family.
Sources
[1] John Bowlby Attachment Theory. 2024. Simply Psychology.
[2] Association between adult attachment and mental health states among health care workers: the mediating role of social support. 2024. Frontiers in Psychology.
Founder & CEO
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas.
Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design.
Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.
