It’s common for people to repeat the same patterns of behavior during early relationships. Some people become clingy, others are prone to jealousy and some might withdraw when they feel a relationship is becoming too close. These behaviors are often described as attachment styles, and naming the styles can help people recognize their behaviors and understand them. Thinking of addiction as an attachment disorder could help people identify potential patterns and risks and even be used as a tool for therapy and recovery.
What Are Attachment Styles? A Quick Overview
There are four key attachment styles. They are:
- Avoidant. Those with an avoidant attachment style don’t want to be dependent on others or have others depend on them. This leads to them becoming withdrawn if they feel a relationship is becoming too emotionally close.
- Anxious. Someone with an anxious attachment style might view themselves as inferior to their partner and be fearful of being abandoned by them.
- Disorganized. Some individuals have both avoidant and anxious traits, leading to confusing behaviors. They simultaneously fear both commitment and being abandoned and send mixed signals as a result.
- Secure. A person with a secure attachment style is able to communicate clearly, trust others and build lasting bonds.
A person’s attachment style is influenced, in part, by the attachment they had to their parents. In North America, 60% of infants have secure bonds with their parents, and this increases the likelihood of them developing a secure attachment style as an adult.
Understanding Addiction as an Attachment Disorder
Just as attachment styles can influence relationships, they can also influence a person’s behavior in other aspects of their life. The relationship between attachment and addiction is something researchers have been investigating for several years, and it’s thought some attachment styles may be more prone to addiction than others. Anxious, avoidant and disorganized attachment styles are thought to have a higher risk of engaging in compulsive behaviors.
It’s still possible for someone who has a secure attachment style to fall into a habit of substance abuse, especially given the biological components of dependence on painkillers and other drugs. However, the psychological factors associated with compulsive behavior make those with insecure attachment styles more likely to develop addictions.
How Insecure Attachment Can Influence Addiction Risk
John Bowlby’s attachment theory describes people as having either secure or insecure attachment styles. People who have an insecure attachment style are thought to be more likely to self-medicate as a way to compensate for their lack of ability to form secure attachments to others and build strong relationships.
Depending on the substances an individual chooses to self-medicate with, they may be putting themselves at risk of developing substance use disorder. A common example of this is alcoholism, but studies have also found evidence to link fearful-avoidant attachment to heroin addiction.
Anxious, Avoidant and Disorganized Styles in the Context of Substance Use
Those who have anxious, avoidant or disorganized attachment styles may struggle to form long-lasting relationships and, as a result, have lower self-esteem. These factors increase the risk of addiction. The risk is further amplified if the person has a comorbid mental health condition that reduces their ability to cope with the challenges they face in day-to-day life without self-medication.
Those with anxious attachment styles might fall into codependent relationships and engage in compulsive behaviors that can lead to substance abuse. Avoidant and disorganized attachment styles are often associated with an inability to process difficult emotions. If those individuals turn to drugs or alcohol to dull or escape from those emotions, this can lead to dependence on those substances. What initially starts as a psychological coping mechanism can turn into a compulsive habit or a biological addiction.
How Addiction May Reinforce or Mirror Early Relationship Patterns
When most people think of addiction, they think of biological dependency on a drug. However, not all addictions meet that definition. Some substances are merely habit-forming, and people also refer to things like compulsive gambling or video game playing as an addiction despite there not being a physical dependency on those actions.
For some individuals, those addictions mirror early relationship patterns, such as codependency or “love addiction.” Those who have insecure attachment patterns may experience intense emotions during the early stages of a relationship and fall into a pattern of craving the feelings their partner gives them, only to respond in a maladaptive way. They may then feel guilt or anxiety and go looking for the same positive feelings elsewhere, leading to a cycle of short relationships.
A similar pattern can play out with addiction, where a person with an insecure attachment style will look for solace in the form of drug or alcohol use. In the short term, they’ll find some comfort in the “high” or the dulled feelings, but this will fade. Over time, they may find they need more of the substance or other, stronger substances to achieve the same feelings.
Using Attachment Theory in Therapy and Recovery
Understanding attachment theory can be helpful as part of the recovery process. Breaking the cycle of using drugs or alcohol is the first step, but for sustained recovery, a person must be able to resist temptation in the long term. This requires learning positive coping mechanisms to address their negative emotions.
When a person understands their attachment style, they’re more likely to recognize what they’re feeling. This can help them take steps to manage their emotions and respond in a healthy way without self-medicating. Learning how to name, accept and process feelings is a major part of therapy and an essential part of setting people up for long-term success.
Healing Through Healthy Connections and Self-Awareness
At Restore Mental Health, we believe self-awareness and the ability to form healthy connections are key to healing from addiction. Our compassionate, experienced therapists are here to guide people through the recovery process using talk therapies and other treatments to help them develop the skills they need to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle in the long term. If you or someone close to you is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, contact us today to book an appointment with a member of our team and start on the path toward lasting recovery.
