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Attachment issues12/16/2023 The child is seen as resisting attachment, and the belief is that this resistance needs to be broken down. Behaviour is framed as manipulative, as the individual attempts to exert control over their environment. According to this theory, children with RAD fail to develop a conscience, putting them at risk of becoming psychopaths. One such fringe theory is that suppressed rage fuels behaviour in RAD. The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s (APSAC) published a position paper that gave an overview of what’s known about RAD, and it sounds like there are some fringe-y theories about RAD that aren’t backed up by science. Insecure attachment can fuel issues around self-identity and self-blame, which in turn can contribute to the development of eating disorders.Īs they get older, people with RAD are more likely to engage in risky behaviours, including risky sex and substance abuse, and they may have problems with the law. Addiction is common, as people turn to substances to help with coping. Internalization of distress can contribute to depression and anxiety. Consequences of RADĪttachment disorders can contribute to the development of alexithymia, a personality trait that involves the inability to identify their own emotions. Complex PTSD, dissociative identity disorder, and personality disorders are among the various potential manifestations that may arise from the effects of early trauma. RAD is not the only form of disordered attachment that may result from childhood trauma. Key factors that would signal the possible presence of RAD rather than another disorder are a history of severe neglect and significant difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Focus on treating co-occurring disorders may mean the RAD is missed completely. If care providers are unaware of the developmental history, symptoms may be mistakenly attributed to other disorders, as there is overlap with symptoms of conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and autism. You can find the diagnostic criteria here if you’re curious, but if you’re tempted to self-diagnose, resist that temptation. I’m not going to list the diagnostic criteria because they seem particularly conducive to inaccurate self-diagnosis. Prior to the DSM-5, there were two subtypes, inhibited and disinhibited, but now, RAD refers strictly to the inhibited type, while there’s a new disorder for the disinhibited type called disinhibited social engagement disorder. The reactive attachment disorder diagnosis They tend to be highly reactive, even in non-threatening situations, and have low frustration tolerance.Īttachment disorders may be associated with changes in the brain, including increased volume and activation of the amygdala, which is in charge of threat detection. They may respond violently to attempts at closeness from others, or they may engage in self-injury. This leads to an inability to tolerate physical or emotional closeness. Their moods and behaviour are erratic, and communication can be challenging, especially around emotions.Īs these children’s distress isn’t met with comfort, they eventually stop seeking it altogether. Children who experience RAD have difficulty forming emotional attachments and are less able to experience positive emotions. Lack of nurturing can lead to poor language acquisition, impaired cognitive development with decreased IQ, and impaired social functioning. It’s been observed in children whose parents have an illness that interferes with being able to attend to their child, as well as in foster care settings and orphanages. The DSM-5 classifies reactive attachment disorder (RAD) as a trauma-related disorder that develops in early childhood as a result of severe neglect and maltreament. This week’s term is reactive attachment disorder. In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms.
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