05/08/2022
On children with significant attachment injuries:
"The attachment-injured child has organized their experiences into a story or narrative in which parents have little to offer, and may be very hurtful or scary. Even when circumstances have changed and/or they are placed in a new environment with loving, capable parents, the child sees only the facts and incidents that fit with the initial story or will bend and interpret facts to fit within that framework. The child holds a rigid and dysfunctional template for relationships.
In addition, when there has been severe neglect or an inconsistent, chaotic early environment, the child has not learned that what they do actually matters or makes a difference. The child has no sense of efficacy. The child does not develop a good understanding of cause and effect. Research confirms that children who experience early trauma have a deficit in their cause and effect reasoning.
Furthermore, the child feels deeply alone. There is no one the child can depend on. This creates a great deal of anxiety. To ward off this anxiety, the child often tries to control their environment and, even more strongly, tries to control interactions with their primary caregiver. The high anxiety associated with relationship, and the rigidity of the child’s worldview, cause the child to push away from the things they need most for healing, closeness and attachment, keeping the attachment-injured child in a state of disconnect."
From: Understanding Attachment Injuries in Children and How to Help: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
by Catherine A. Young
