Secure and Insecure

Attachments

Secure and Insecure

Attachments

Research Results and Correlations

PPT Lecture on Research Results Video Immersion Good will hunting A WORD ABOUT GRAVE YARD TOUR

Research Results and Correlations

PPT Lecture on Research Results Video Immersion Good will hunting A WORD ABOUT GRAVE YARD TOUR

FINDING YOUR ATTACHMENT TYPE: INSECURE / SECURE

If you score 11 or less attachment style = insecure

More than 21 attachment style = insecure

Average score from bereaved study participants was 17

Other subcategories scoring to follow

SCORING YOUR ANXIOUS / AMBIVALENT SCORE

SUM THESE CATEGORIES

PARENTAL UNUSAL CLOSENESS SI - 6, 4

PARENTAL OVERPROTECTIVENESS SI - 17, 18, 19, 20

CHILDHOOD TIMIDITY SII - 7, 10, 12, 15, 16, 24, 25

DRESDEN VASE SII - 8, 14, 17,18, 19

• 10 MORE = INDICATES ANXIOUS AMBIVALENT ATTACHMENT• SCORE = 7 WAS AVERAGE SCORE FOR BEREAVED PARTICIPANTS

SCORING AVOIDANT ATTACHMENTS

SUM THESE CATEGORIES

PARENTS INTOLERANT OF CLOSENESS SI - 28

CHILD INTOLERANT OF CLOSENESS SII - 26

CHILDHOOD AGGRESSIVENESS / DISTRUST SII 20, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

• SCORE OF 6 OR MORE INDICATES AVOIDANT ATTACHMENT• SCORE 3.8 WAS AVERAGE SCORE FOR BEREAVED PARTICIPANTS

SCORING DISORGANIZED ATTACHMENTS

SUM THESE CATEGORIES

FAMILY EXPERIENCE DANGER / PERSECUTION SII - 4

PARENTAL REJECTION / VIOLENCE SI - 10, 13, 25, 26, 27

PARENTAL DEPRESSION / PSYCH SI - 7, 8, 9a, 9b, 12

CHILDHOOD UNHAPPINESS SII - 9, 32, 33

COMPULSIVE CAREGIVING SII - 11, 23

• SCORE OF 6 OR MORE INDICATES DISORGANIZED ATTACHMENT• SCORE 4.5 WAS AVERAGE SCORE FOR BEREAVED PARTICIPANTS

SECURE ATTACHMENTS

• The more reported security of attachment the less severe distress reported AFTER BEREAVEMENT

• Why?

Correlations

Low Secure Attachment

Low Problematic

Coping Score

Low Marital Disharmony Score

Low Overall Distress Score

= secure parenting

harmonious adult relationships

Securely Attached will still seek

and Sometimes need treatment • Securely attached are not free from distress, but more

likely to cope better and have lower levels of distress

• Those that sought help and who had low insecure scores suffered from

• Obsessional symptoms, sleep disorders, symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety

• Causes of the latter symptoms: unexpected, untimely, or violent bereavements

• Ultimately, it appeared secure attachments sometimes leave us unprepared for traumatic events that occur over a lifetime.

Summary secure Attachments = Less distress after bereavement

• Secure attached are:

1. More self-confident

2. Seek out support and help when needed

3. Have a reasonable sense of autonomy

4. Marriage is more harmonious and provide a buffer from distress

Group Task and Questions

Form Group’s of 5 / 6

Select Captain / Spokesperson

Task

Group is watch movie and provide evidence of attachment / grief details related to movie and characters.

Be as analytical as possible

Video will be watched over 2 classes / group who wins these immersions (gaining most pts) will be given a prize in last class.

Anxious / Ambivalent

Remember these are the folks who scored high on Parental Unusual closeness and/or Overprotection along with Childhood timidity and/or high ‘Dresden Vase scores.

Results showed that participants who scored high on Anxious/ Ambivalence bereaved for protracted periods of time and had difficulty with loneliness.

However, anxious/ambivalent attachment in childhood and long lasting severe grief after bereavement could not be explained by the anxious/ambivalent dependence on the lost person.

So what explains the persistence of grief for these folks?

Shows great distress during separation

Clings and cries angrily upon return

Distress continues after reunion for much longer than securely attached infants

Persistence of Grief?

Long lasting grief appeared to be entangled with anger and resentment - freezing the ability to let go the deceased.

What else do folks think is going on here?

Correlations

Anxious/Ambivalent

Disagreements with

deceased

Marital Disagreements

Cling

= insecure parenting

conflicted adult relationships

Chronic Grief

attach to / push away

Anxious / Ambivalence: In light of bereavement

Summary

• People who experience anxious / ambivalent relationships in childhood and people who make dependent attachments in adult life are both likely to suffer severe and lasting grief and loneliness after bereavement.

• It appears that these persons do not see love as something that is given, but is demanded - a la from parents.

• In adulthood then so-called love is lost (via death) and their fear and rage complicates and magnifies grief

• They are caught in a web of needing to cling and holding back from clinging = high anxiety. So when their loved one dies - who do they cling to or go for support?

Avoidant AttachmentsParents intolerant of closeness / do not mirror

IFT inhibit their tendency to cling and cry

During the SST when (PCF) re-appears (IFT) appears indifferent and uncaring will even ignore / avoid (PCF).

Avoidant attachments in childhood were highly correlated in adult life with difficulty in showing affection and with high scores on emotional Inhibition/Distrust and Aggression /Assertiveness

Avoidant attachments was also highly correlated with Marital Disagreements.

Avoidant attachments were also found to correlate with Disagreements with the now deceased and that the bereaved person never cries - and the prediction of delayed grief...

Interestingly, the avoidant attached person did say that they would like to cry more.

Inability to express grief

The Avoidant Griever

Five out of 10 participants who said they never cry received diagnosis as having a psychosomatic disorder.

However, psychosomatic diagnosis was not a key ingredient to the avoidant griever.

Inability to grieve and delayed grief, although related to avoidant attachments, appeared to also be correlated with need to control...

Avoidance and Need to Control

The bereaved delayed grief because:

• They were holding grief in check because need to look after a parent / child

• Lifelong neurosis

• Past bouts with depression

• Post-traumatic stress reactions

• Alcoholism

• Personality disorders

The Avoidant Griever

Ultimately, the findings confirm that children of parents who discouraged the expression of attachment (hugging/cuddling, sharing feelings) will find it difficult to acknowledge and express both grief and affection.

This was found to persist in adult life, to increase the risk of interpersonal conflicts and to inhibit the expression of grief.

Mapping the Avoider

Continuous lines indicate significant correlations

Interrupted lines indicate non-significant trends

Why Do Patterns of Childhood Remain into Adulthood

A clinical insight:

We return to old conditioning under stress and in times of survival...

Avoidant attachments only make children independent of their parents, they have not survived because of keeping away, but because they have found a safe proximity and they are rewarded for it (are continued to be fed and protected).

Thus, they will find people who perpetuate assumptive world, but upon death this separateness is “forever” - thus what do I do and who do I turn to.

Disorganized Attachments

These are participants who scored high on Parental Depression / Psychiatric Problems; Parental Violence; Childhood Unhappiness; Compulsive Caregiving; Family Persecution.

During childhood these folk often felt helpless / hopelessness and may have become caregivers for their parents / siblings.

The PCF lacks in confidence with respect to their ability to care for and control their child and they may see their child as more powerful than themselves.

(IFT’s) may cry during separation but avoid the PCF upon return or they may approach the PCF upon return then freeze/fall, hit themselves, rock back and forth, etc.

Disorganized Findings and Patterns of Behaviour

Findings revealed that disorganized type after bereavement suffering from depression, anxiety, and panic and use alcohol to self medicate.

There is also a tendency for these folk to feel extreme guilt and report suicidal behaviour

Interestingly, findings did indicate the disorganized type would seek help from a professional, but not turn to family members for support.

Findings also revealed that the disorganized type indeed has characteristics of the avoidant and anxious/ambivalent type.

Disorganized Findings and Patterns of Behaviour

Clinical Insight

Findings also reveal that the disorganized type display a serious need to protect oneself and distrust others. But, interestingly enough, the disorganized type can trust enough in so much as their trust leads to a confirmation of their assumptive world - (refer to

Mollie’s Story pg. 111)

Mapping the Disorganized Continuous lines

indicate significant correlations

Interrupted lines indicate non-significant trends

Influence of disorganized attachments on psychological problems is not limited to the years of childhood.