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Many
children suffer from disruptions in attachment during their first
few years of life. The causes are many. The infant may have been
chronically ill or in pain, the mother may have been physically
ill, mentally ill, or highly stressed. The child may have been abused,
neglected or abandoned. When such disruptions occur, the child learns
that the world is not safe and caregivers cannot be trusted. The
child, therefore, adopts an elaborate defense system and self-parenting
techniques which may seem bizarre, but bottomline, the child seeks
always to be in control.
These
children have difficulty forming relationships that are mutual and
reciprocal and have little empathy for others.
 Some
Attachment Disorder Symptoms:
- Not
cuddly or affectionate as an infant
- Clingy
or overly demanding
- Superficially
engaging and charming
- Not
affectionate, on parental terms
- Indiscriminately
affectionate with strangers
- Victimizes
others, but sees self as victim
- Destructive
toward self/others/property
- Deceitful,
lying—even when it’s obvious
- Hyperactivity
- ADD - ADHD
- Hoarding,
stealing
- Abnormal
eating habits
- Manipulative,
controlling
- Cruel
towards animals and/or younger children
- Lack
of conscience, remorse or empathy
- Identification
with evil or dark side of life
- Preoccupation
with fire, blood and gore or violence
- Intense
displays of rage
- Inappropriate
sexual thinking/behavior
- Incessant
nonsense, questions or chatter
- Enuresis/encopresis
- Lack
of eye contact
- Accident-prone/high
pain tolerance
- Chronic
body tension
- Poor
boundaries
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