Four Types r.a.d.
Anxious: The anxiously attached child
tends to be overly clingy, and to become excessively upset when separated
from their mothers. Anxious children seem to be eager to please and
superficially compliant. The are usually passive aggressive, persistently
doing little things wrong but never doing anything really bad so that
the parents are left feeling like the child is driving them crazy.
They are usually excessively "chatty." Often these children
are mis-diagnosed as having "over anxious disorder." These
children often recover much more quickly than other children with
attachment disorder.
Avoidant: Children who have avoidant attachment disorder tend to be quite isolated
and don't particularly care whether or not they have closeness or
relationships with others. Their rejection of affection can make them
appear similar to ambivalent children but the difference is that ambivalent
children push affection away because they don't want anyone to have
control over them. Avoidant children simply don't enjoy being around
others because they don't feel safe. They are constantly on alert
against attack from others and are hyper vigilant. Avoidant children
have tremendous feelings of omnipotence, believing that they can care
for all their own needs by themselves and don't need others for anything.
As a result, they are often sullen and openly oppositional, but primarily
in a passive aggressive way.
Ambivalent: Children who have attachment disorder are usually openly angry and
defiant. They are usually destructive both with their own belonging
as well as with the belongings of others. They are extremely difficult
children to parent because they sabotage or destroy almost everything
positive that happens to them. These children use manipulation to
make others feel guilty. They are affectionate children only when
they want something. These children do not have friends although they
will say they do. If you ask questions like: "Who do you eat
lunch with?", " Who invites you over to their house?"
etc. These children keep friends only for a few. days. They lack the
ability to give and receive love. They demonstrate a remarkable lack
of empathy for others. They are often cruel to animals and other children.
Disorganized: Some children with attachment disorder show a variety of symptoms;
their behavior is grossly disorganized and bizarre, and shows features
of the other types of attachment disorders at various times and for
no apparent reason. These children often have atypical psychosis,
bipolar disorder, and other neurological disorders. They tend to have
family histories of mental illness. Their most disruptive behavior
for parents is their excessive excitability (as distinguished from
other children with attachment disorder who are usually moody.) Disorganized
children are the most difficult to treat in therapy because they have
so many different problems. They often require medication and out
of home placement.
