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Attachment disorder
Psychological effects of adoption
The impact of loss on a child
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My story began in a cradle in Romania that contained a heart that has been broken, and fallen apart from the mystery of my childhood. I’m a young European girl named Grace Giorgiana Audiffred; I was very blessed to be adopted by a young couple that is now my loving, supporting parents. I was diagnosed with a disorder called attachment disorder. It’s known for kids that have struggled with the detachment of caregiver or birth parents. What is Attachment disorder? “The condition in which individuals have difficulty forming lasting relationships. They often show nearly a complete lack of ability to be genuinely affectionate with others. They typically fail to develop a conscience and do not learn to trust”. I struggled a lot dealing and accepting …show more content…
the fact that I was rejected at birth and being placed in a poorly organized orphanage. I grew up thinking I was the problem, and that I was the caused for my birth mom’s actions; thinking I was worthless and feeling unloved and not welcomed.
As a little girl I developed bad habits with my negativity thoughts that kept me up all night long wallowing in questions that can’t ever be answered. No matter how much I struggled, and how much pain I was in, I wouldn’t regret any of it. I’m very much appreciated my struggles, and the heart breaks of what I’ve had to deal with. My perspective as changed drastically on my adoption. I have simply accepted and viewed my adoption with great happiness and forgiveness. Since I’m much older and matured over the years I see that my birth mother saved my life when I was a little girl by putting me up for adoption. The way I have coped with my disorder is through, Photography, music, and excising. I have turned to the things that make me happy and the things I love to do in my free time. Photography has helped me to view things and see things through a different lenses, and accept things for what they are for example it helped me to forgive my birthmother, I had to adjust my lenses to face the truth to what really could of happened to her, such as rape. It helped me to realize that maybe I wasn’t the problem, and maybe it wasn’t her fault
either. Photography really helped me to just accept things for what they are and for who they are; and it made be see the beauty in ugly things. Music has given me the emotional cure of knowing that I’m not the only one in this world who is been suffering personal problems.
Attachment theory focuses on the bond between a caregiver and a child and how these fragile bonds, if not attended to properly have psychological and social effects on the child’s future. The attachment process itself responds to the developing identity of the child, which is very dependent on the sensitivity and guidance of the caregiver. John Bowlby takes attachment theory in a more biological/ evolutionary perspective, in which he views these formations of bonds as a survival mechanism in which the infant ensures its survival by attaching themselves to an adult (caregiver) who can meet their needs. This take on the attachment theory suggests that parents and infants may be biologically programmed to form an attachment and that every interaction and behavior thereafter facilitates the creation of this bond (Ashford 2013, 266). On a bio-social level children look for this attachment because they are biologically wired to be related to others and be social creatures. Regardless if the attachment theory is taken through a biological,
An embryo forms in the uterus of a soon-to-be mother. Already the organism is dependent on its mother and is physically attached to her through the formation of the umbilical cord. After birth, the interactions between the child and its caregivers determine whether this attachment continues on a healthy path or begins to become disturbed. When the latter occurs, children may develop reactive attachment disorder (RAD) Being that this disorder is fairly misdiagnosed and misunderstood, there is not much empirical data as pertains to its etiological bases and epidemiology. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders characterizes RAD has a disorder that occurs when a child has experienced repeated insufficient care. Moreover, children with this disorder really concentrate on attention and attachment that they perceive from the world around them, whether they avoid it (inhibited type) or crave it (disinhibited type). Further research is needed in the years to come in order for RAD to become more recognized and understood.
Attachments are formed with parents; this contributes to give a sense of who we are and who we will become in later life. However where these attachments are broken the child needs to have a secure attachment established with an alternative adult care giver,...
From birth, children are dependent on parents for survival and safety. Infants need this attachment in order to survive. Basic needs like shelter and food are things in that all human beings need; but for infants and children, in particular, they cannot survive independently without parents and guidance. Furthermore, as children grow, the parent-child attachment is not just physical, but it is also psychological. Adults who care for children through unconditional love and acceptance, provide positive living environments and self confidence which helps the child grow independently into an adult. Failure in this child-parent relationship in the form of long term neglect or trauma can have consequences in a child’s development physically and psychologically.
Admittedly, many psychologists define attachment as an enduring, affectionate bond that one person forms between himself and another person throughout life. Mary Ainsworth provided the most famous research: strange situation, offering explanations of individual differences in attachment. However, in this Adult Attachment Style questionnaire that I took, I found many factors relevant to attachment as defined in the textbook. For example, in the textbook, it defines attachment based on Ainsworth research, the strange situation by observing attachment forms between mother and infants. They are described in four attachment styles: securely attached, insecure avoidant, insecure resistant, and insecure disorganized.
Everything started a few years ago. It was a warm and beautiful night in Africa; the dark blue sky was full of stars… and those were the last things I remember before I woke up in a cold and wet floor. I do not know where I was, or why I my hands were tight behind my back.
As previously mentioned, a variety of attachments ensue social relationships; these attachments mold differently to what each age grade needs developmentally, especially young adults. Attachment is defined as “a strong affectional tie that binds a person to an intimate companion” (450). This concept emerges around six to seven months of age, and is directed towards our parents (to mother first more so than father) or direct caregiver (450). At such a young age, an infant shows its attachment towards it’s caregiver by “crying, clinging, approaching, following, doing whatever it takes to maintain closeness to her and expressing displeasure when they cannot” (450). These basic characteristics of attachment are quite similar, but are expressed differently as we grow. Other age groups like, for instance, young adults would differentiate in the way they...
Historically, reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is considered to be a rare disorder (American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), 2011). Clinical disorders of attachment did not appear in the DSM until the third edition, published in 1980 (Zeanah et al., 2004). In the fourth edition of the DSM (text revision), reactive attachment disorder was described from two different perspectives: inhibited form and disinhibited form. It was suggested that the different forms of...
Why is externalising a central technique in narrative therapy today, and what are the limitations and successes of this technique?
Barth, R., Crea, T., John, K., Thoburn, J. & Quinton, D. (2005). Beyond attachment theory and therapy: Towards sensitive and evidence-based interventions with foster and adoptive families in distress. Child and Family Social Work, 10, 257-268.
To begin, what led up to my adoption. This was very difficult part of my life, which began when my mom and my dad split up. They broke up when I was very little and my mom met a guy that I really did not like. He was a major alcoholic and always beat my mom, brother and I. There have been times that we tried to get away but he would seem to always find us. This was when finally my brother and I ran away and which caused us to
It had come to the attention of my family that I had some sort of psychological problem and something had to be done. I was always labeled as a shy and quiet kid, and like my family I had thought nothing more of my behavior. However, now it had become something more obvious. I had told my parents the kinds of problems I was having. Basically I didn't want to talk to anyone or to be anywhere near anyone I didn't know. I didn't really want to leave my house for any reason for fear that I might have to talk to someone. I was so critical and scrutinizing in relation to myself that I couldn't even enter into a conversation. Everyone seems to have a part of themselves that lends itself to thoughts of pessimism and failure, but mine was something that was in the forefront of my mind at all times. Something telling me that everything I did was a failure, and that anything I ever did would not succeed. Through discussion with my family it was decided that I should move out of my parents house to a place where I could find treatment and get a job. I was to reside with my sister Lisa, her partner Brynn, and their Saint Bernard in Greensboro.
During the first few stages of both theories, we see challenges in the development of the child and we also see challenges that a child might face during some, if not all forms of attachment theory. For example, a parent ignoring the child and speaking to them in a negative manner during insecure-avoidant attachment can be challenging for a child and lead to insecurities and the feeling of not being loved and/or wanted. Additionally, the theme of independence is seen throughout both theories and can also be related specifically to insecure-avoidant attachment where the child does not focus his or her attention on the parents but instead looks to the outside world for assistance. Both theories, as well as attachment theory, has an impact on childhood
Roy, L. H. (2012, March 30). Reactive Attachment Disorder. Retrieved July 14, 2012, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/915447-overview
My environment growing up was not the best. I was poor, some of the apartments I lived in was filled with cockroaches. I was left to always defend for myself while my mom went out to drink and get high. Food was hard to come by and when it was around it was full of fat and I was a chubby kid. With my mom smoking 24/7 I developed asthma. My heredity was negative because I come from a family that has some sort of mental illness, like a learning disability, depression,emotional eating etc. I do not look like my mom at all but we both were on the short side. A lot has changed from when I was younger.. I was adopted so my home life is better, my mom is not always gone, there is never time I am alone fending for myself, nobody drinks or does drugs, I have three meals a day and a well stocked fridge and pantry. I still don’t look like any of my family members. I still have depression, ptsd, anxiety, and a learning disability but I have a better control over it. I am not the same person I was and its all because I needed love, someone to be there for me, and someone who understood