Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a condition that affects young children who have not formed secure attachments to their primary caregivers, leading to maladaptive social behaviors. It can be caused by abuse, neglect, institutionalization, or a lack of stable family life. Symptoms include disinterest, withdrawal, and unfamiliar behavior. Treatment involves therapy and forming healthy attachments, but dangerous therapies should be avoided.
Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a form of attachment disorder that occurs in young children, usually before the age of five. Children with this condition have not formed secure attachments to their primary caregivers and, as a result, do not develop well socially. Children with reactive attachment may engage in a variety of antisocial behaviors and have difficulty getting along with other children. Left untreated, this psychological condition can persist into adulthood and can be disruptive as the person attempts to navigate society.
The causes of reactive attachment disorder revolve around situations where children have difficulty forming attachments to their caregivers. Children who have been abused or neglected commonly have this problem, as do children who have been institutionalized or deprived of a stable family life. Lack of healthy attachments to people like parents, grandparents, and so on leads children to develop maladaptive social behaviors.
In the uninhibited form of reactive attachment disorder, the child lacks conventional social inhibitions. Children may approach complete strangers, be very frank and open with people they don’t know well, and exhibit other forms of indiscriminate sociability. Children with the inhibited form, on the other hand, are withdrawn, prefer their own company, and avoid social situations.
Some signs that a child may have reactive attachment disorder include a general disinterest in the world around them, withdrawal from caregivers, not eating well, and unfamiliar behavior compared to children of the same age. For a diagnosis, a comprehensive psychological evaluation must be conducted, evaluating both the child and the caregivers. It is important to confirm that a child has reactive attachment disorder before pursuing treatment.
In some cases, evaluators may feel that it is in the best interests of the child to be placed in a different home, such as when children are victims of abuse and neglect. In other cases, therapists work with the child and caregivers to help form healthy attachments. Individual and group therapy are used along with exercises and a variety of other techniques. Every therapist has a slightly different approach, and sometimes it takes some trial and error to find the right approach for a particular family.
People should be aware that some dangerous therapies have been proposed for reactive attachment disorder, such as wrapping babies to confine them. It is important to work with a certified and licensed psychotherapy practitioner during treatment and check with a doctor before embarking on alternative therapies to ensure they do not harm your child physically or psychologically.
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