Attachment styles
Attachment connections are formed at infancy with a primary care giver often the mother. These connections formed and experienced with the primary care giver determine the relationships you have with other people throughout life. When a child is maltreated their ability to form healthy relationships are hindered (Cederbaum et al, 2020). There are for types of attachment styles.
Secure people with secure attachment style had a care giver who was engaged and made them feel safe and secure this translates in feeling safe and secure in romantic relationships.
Ambivalent/ anxious they had caregivers who were inconsistent and unresponsive to their needs therefore tend to be needy in relationships.
Avoidant/ dismissive had care givers who were unavailable therefore tend to withdraw and are distant to their partners.
Disorganized had care givers with unresolved trauma therefore are frightened and feel unsafe in relationships.
People with unhealthy attachment style can have healthy relationships if they acknowledge their short comings and seek counselling also having supportive romantic partners can mitigate the effects of negative attachment styles (Milan et al, 2004). When an attachment style hinders one from having a functioning relationship the person can change their attachment style by improving their self-perception. childhood maltreatment has been shown to influence self-perception, a positive self-perception improves and deepens romantic relationships also positive self-perception mitigates the negatives of unhealthy attachment styles (Cederbaum et al, 2020).
References
Cederbaum, J.A., Negriff. S., Molina, A.P. (2020). Child maltreatment and romantic relationships in adolescence and young adulthood: the mediating role of self-perception, child abuse and neglect. Science direct. 109, https://resolver-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/openurl?sid=EBSCO%3acmedm&genre=article&issn=18737757&ISBN=&volume=109&issue=&date=20201101&spage=104718&pages=104718&title=Child+abuse+&atitle=Child+maltreatment+and+romantic+relationships+in+adolescence+and+young+adulthood%3a+The+mediating+role+of+self-perception.&aulast=Cederbaum+JA&id=DOI%3a10.1016%2fj.chiabu.2020.104718&site=ftf-live
Milan, S., Lewis, J., Ethier, K., Kershaw. T., & Ickovics, J. R. (2004). The impact of physical maltreatment history on adolescent mother- infant relationship: mediating and moderating effects during the transition to early parenthood. Journal of abnormal child psychology, 32(3), 249. https://eds-s-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=54bcb6ba-004d-4eb2-aaef-6a175276d5c9%40redis
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