CCChat April 2025.pdf - Flipbook - Page 44
WHAT ARE YOUR
ATTACHMENT STYLES?
What attachment theory can teach us
about our adult relationships.
Your childhood experiences shape how
you approach romantic relationships. The
emotional bond you formed as a kid
influences how you connect with others
and handle intimacy throughout life.
If you grew up feeling safe and
understood as an infant, and your needs
were consistently met, you’re likely to
develop a secure attachment. As an adult,
you’ll be confident, trusting, and adept at
managing
conflicts,
responding
to
intimacy, and navigating the ups and
downs of romantic relationships.
But if you experienced confusing,
frightening, or inconsistent caregiving
during infancy, and your needs weren’t
consistently met, you’re more likely to
have an insecure attachment.
An understanding of attachment style can
shed light on why someone might be
facing
challenges
in
their
adult
relationships and can help develop a
more secure way of relating to others
which can lead to stronger, healthier, and
more fulfilling relationships.
People with a secure attachment style
can share their feelings freely and ask for
help when things get tough in their
relationships, but someone with an
insecure attachment style, might become
clingy or needy in close relationships, act
selfishly or manipulatively when they are
feeling vulnerable, or just avoid intimacy
altogether.
The different types of attachment style:
Secure
Anxious (or ambivalent)
Avoidant-dismissive
Disorganised
Infants with insecure attachment often
struggle to understand their emotions and
the feelings of others. They may find it
hard to connect with others, avoid
intimacy, or be overly clingy, fearful, or
anxious in a relationship.
Do you:
act in puzzling or self-sabotaging ways when you’re in a
close relationship?
keep repeating the same mistakes in relationships?
have trouble forming meaningful connections, dating the
