Attachment Issues in Relationships: How They Could Affect You
It’s been said that to understand where you are and where you are going, you need to look back to see where you’ve been. The person that you are today didn’t materialize out of thin air. You’ve been shaped by various experiences – the good, the bad, and the ugly - and these have contributed to how you think, act, and are in daily life. While we aren’t determined by our past, it does play a role, whether big or small, in who we are today. If you look at your current relationships with other people, a large part of how you relate to others today is shaped by past experiences that formed your expectations and posture toward relationships. A person’s ability to form emotional bonds and connections with others is referred to as “attachment.” Depending on certain formative experiences, a person may have a healthy or unhealthy attachment style. Attachment and Attachment Styles A person’s attachment style will often be shaped by the early childhood experiences they have with their parents or caregivers. These experiences, which include whether their various needs were met, consistently influence how one navigates and perceives relationships with others. What a person goes through shapes their expectations about whether it’s safe to share what you need, and if others can be trusted to understand and meet your needs. There are a few different types of attachment or attachment styles. Some attachments are secure, which describes a posture of feeling safe, supported, and comfortable with intimacy and independence when in a relationship with others. There is also an anxious-preoccupied style, describing a posture of being fearful of abandonment, which often results in seeking constant reassurance and being overly dependent on others. Then there is the dismissive-avoidant style, where one is emotionally distant and unavailable, often prioritizing [...]
