The Painful Effects of Attachment Trauma

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Attachment Trauma and What Causes It?The Mental and Emotional Impact of Attachment TraumaResources and Getting Help

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Attachment Trauma and What Causes It?

The Mental and Emotional Impact of Attachment Trauma

Resources and Getting Help

“Attachment trauma is important because it influences how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world around us. The response style of a person who is secure and trusting is often very different from the response style of individuals who have experienced trust violations, abandonment, or neglect in early childhood or at any time in life,” explains Shauna ‘Doc’ Springer, PhD, Co-founder and Chief Psychologist forStella, which provides innovative resources for trauma victims.

Attachment trauma can have a variety of causes. But there are also resources that can help address those causes and provide support to victims of attachment trauma. We’ll take a look at what can lead to attachment trauma, the consequences of it, and ways to get help to deal with its effects.

Understanding Emotional Attachment and Whether Yours Is Healthy

The role of bonding early in a child’s experience is a pivotal building block for health and well-being.

“The attachment bond, when safe, secure, and reliable-enough, provides the basic scaffold for developing a secure sense of self, with stable self-concept, and a sense of efficacy in managing oneself,” says psychiatrist and psychotherapistGrant H Brenner, MD. It also helps with “relating well with others and making good relationship decisions, pursuing professional goals, and generally getting satisfaction in life while weathering the difficult times,” he adds.

Understanding the Effects of Childhood Trauma

Victims of abuse or neglect often struggle with a sense of self. The trauma from this can cause feelings of guilt, shame, and inadequacy. It can make you constantly second-guess your own emotions, making you unsure of what you feel or why.

People who deal with emotional trauma often put up walls to hide insecurities. You may be overly defensive, or always suspicious. In fact, it’s difficult to regulate your emotions, and process your feelings. Trauma can also lead todepression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

These reactions are just some of the consequences of struggling with attachment trauma. When you’ve had a disruption to this critical bonding experience, it colors the way you view yourself and the world around you.

“Attachment trauma is a cornerstone for understanding development, including adult development. Trauma tends to shape autobiographical narrative, sense of self, patterns of relationship with others, and ways of making sense of reality which can have long-lasting effects. Attachment trauma in particular can shift how we engage in adult relationships, personal and professional,” notes Dr. Brenner.

Another long-lasting effect is feelings of unworthiness, thinking you don’t deserve love and security because you didn’t receive it. It’s also not uncommon to suffer from lowself-esteem.

The impact of attachment trauma is far-reaching, but there are tools that can help.

Understanding Trauma Bonding

While there is an abundance of resources available to help, working with a mental health professional is a good place to start. Alicensed therapistwho specializes in treating trauma can be very helpful, as well as the right type of therapy for you. Traditional talk therapy,Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, and trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are evidence-based treatments that experts recommend.

“There are many other evidence-based approaches to working with trauma, both forms of therapy as well as therapeutic activities often involving meditation, compassion-based practice, relaxation andbreathingexercises, and some forms of restorative body work which can be effective,” says Dr. Brenner.

When dealing with such a sensitive topic as trauma, there’s no one-size-fits all solution. It’s key to do your research. The right therapist, and the right method, are the one that work best for you.

“Attachment is at the heart of life for the majority of people in the world. Like oxygen, water and food, relationships and community are core for well-being … Loneliness and isolation on average are very harmful,” Dr. Brenner says.

2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Winston R, Chicot R.The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children.London J Prim Care (Abingdon). 2016;8(1):12-14.Mental Health Foundation.Trauma.

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Winston R, Chicot R.The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children.London J Prim Care (Abingdon). 2016;8(1):12-14.Mental Health Foundation.Trauma.

Winston R, Chicot R.The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children.London J Prim Care (Abingdon). 2016;8(1):12-14.Mental Health Foundation.Trauma.

Winston R, Chicot R.The importance of early bonding on the long-term mental health and resilience of children.London J Prim Care (Abingdon). 2016;8(1):12-14.

Mental Health Foundation.Trauma.

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