Understanding Addiction Through Attachment Theory

When discussing addiction, it’s easy to focus on the outward signs. Substance abuse, compulsive behaviours, or self-destructive patterns. However, behind these visible struggles, there’s often a deeper factor that is rarely addressed: attachment theory. 

Understanding addiction through attachment theory has become an increasingly valuable tool for helping individuals heal not just their behaviours but the emotional wounds that may be fueling them.

In this article, we’ll explore what attachment theory is, how it may connect to addiction, and what steps can be taken to start the process of healing.

What is Attachment Theory?

Attachment theory, first developed by British psychiatrist John Bowlby in the 1950s, revolves around the idea that the early relationships we have with our primary caregivers, whether that be our parents, guardians or another figure in our lives that has a strong influence, form the basis for how we connect to others later in life. 

According to this framework, our early attachments shape our ability to feel secure, trust others, and regulate our own emotions. 

The theory states that there are four main attachment styles: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganised.

• Secure attachment: When a caregiver provides consistent emotional support and responsiveness. Individuals with secure attachment feel safe exploring the world, trusting others, and managing their emotions.
• Anxious attachment: Characterised by inconsistent caregiving. This style leaves individuals feeling unsure whether their emotional needs will be met. They often become overly dependent on others for reassurance and validation.
• Avoidant attachment: When caregivers are emotionally unavailable or dismissive, children can develop avoidant attachment. This leads to a tendency to suppress emotions and avoid closeness, often rejecting intimacy to prevent themselves from getting hurt.
• Disorganised attachment: A result of traumatic or chaotic environments. This style is a mix of both anxious and avoidant behaviours. It creates confusion and unpredictability in relationships, often leading to a struggle to maintain emotional stability.

How Attachment Styles Influence Addiction

Addiction is often viewed as an unhealthy coping mechanism, a way to manage emotions, numb pain, or escape from unresolved trauma. Attachment theory provides insight into how these behaviours might develop.

An interesting conclusion from various research studies is that there is a link between substance use disorder and attachment styles. People who struggle with addiction frequently have insecure attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, or disorganised), which impair their ability to form healthy relationships or regulate their emotions. 

Anxious Attachment and Addiction

Individuals with an anxious attachment style often fear abandonment and rejection. As a result, they may turn to substances or other addictive behaviours as a way to self-soothe when they feel ignored, misunderstood, or unloved.

For someone with anxious attachment, addiction may provide a temporary sense of control or comfort. The substance or behaviour becomes a way of being able to feel a fleeting release from the anxiety of potential rejection or abandonment. 

Unfortunately, this can create a cycle of dependency, as the individual uses drugs, alcohol, or other compulsive behaviours to fill the void left by unmet emotional needs.

Avoidant Attachment and Addiction

People with avoidant attachment have learnt how to effectively suppress their emotions to protect themselves from rejection or emotional neglect. They often pride themselves on their independence. However, underneath, they may feel extremely isolated. 

When it comes to substance use, avoidant attachment styles may see this as a way of serving as an emotional crutch, helping them avoid the vulnerability that comes with close relationships.

For these individuals, substances or addictive behaviours offer a means of escaping from both their emotions and the risk of connecting with others. The addiction provides a buffer, allowing them to maintain their emotional distance whilst also still numbing the internal pain they refuse to confront.

Disorganised Attachment and Addiction

As we touched on earlier, a disorganised attachment style often stems from traumatic or unstable childhood environments. For example, abuse and neglect may be what this individual experienced as a child. 

Growing up in toxic environments can lead to a chaotic approach to relationships and emotional regulation. So, this can look like an individual not thoroughly learning how to emotionally regulate, which means they may swing between extremes of anxiety and avoidance.

For someone with a disorganised attachment, addiction may feel like the only stable force in an otherwise turbulent emotional world. Taking drugs, consuming alcohol, or engaging in other addictive behaviours offer a sense of relief, predictability, or escape from the overwhelming feelings or situations they cannot control. 

The Role of Childhood Trauma in Addiction

Attachment theory strongly emphasises the real impact that early childhood experiences have on our emotional development. But what happens when those early experiences are defined by trauma, neglect, or abuse?

Trauma in childhood is one of the strongest predictors of addiction later in life, making these individuals three times more likely than someone who does not live with childhood trauma. 

Adverse childhood experiences, such as experiencing physical or emotional abuse, the loss of a parent, or exposure to domestic violence, can significantly disrupt the ability to form secure attachments. In these cases, addiction may become a way of coping with the unresolved pain of these early traumas.

The connection between trauma and addiction can be traced to how our brains respond to stress. When a child experiences trauma, their developing brain becomes hyper-focused on survival.

This can result in an overactive stress response system, which can lead to difficulties with emotional regulation. As they grow older, they may turn to substances or addictive behaviours to manage the chronic stress and emotional dysregulation caused by unresolved trauma.

Healing Addiction Through Rebuilding Attachment

Understanding addiction through attachment theory gives us a new way to approach treatment, which isn’t to with detox and symptom management. 

For true recovery, it’s essential to address the underlying emotional wounds that caused and may still be keeping someone in active addiction. 

Therapeutic Interventions

Healing addiction requires more than physical recovery. It requires emotional healing, too. Therapeutic approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, and attachment-based therapy can help individuals explore their early attachment patterns and work through the emotional wounds that fuel their addictive behaviours.

Attachment-based therapy focuses specifically on helping individuals rebuild their ability to form healthy, secure relationships. This might involve revisiting painful early childhood experiences, working through unresolved trauma, and learning new ways of relating to others.

Building Secure Attachments in Recovery

An essential part of the recovery process is learning how to form secure attachments. This means developing relationships based on trust, emotional openness, and vulnerability, qualities that may have been missing in earlier relationships.

In a treatment setting, this can look like having the opportunity to experience these secure relationships with therapists, counsellors, and peers. 

Group therapy can be an especially powerful space for individuals to practice vulnerability, express their emotions, and receive support without fear of rejection or abandonment.

Learning Healthy Emotional Regulation

One of the primary reasons people turn to substances or addictive behaviours is to manage overwhelming emotions. Learning healthy emotional regulation skills is a critical part of recovery.

Mindfulness, meditation, and grounding exercises can help individuals develop the ability to sit with their emotions rather than trying to escape them. Over time, this can reduce the compulsion to turn to substances or addictive behaviours as a coping mechanism.

Working on Repairing Dynamics With Loved Ones

For many people, family relationships are a significant source of both emotional pain and potential healing. If everyone is willing to put the work in, family therapy can be an essential part of the recovery process, helping to repair damaged relationships and rebuild trust.

Attachment theory suggests that our earliest relationships with caregivers shape our attachment styles, but it also offers hope that these patterns can be changed. By working through unresolved family dynamics, individuals in recovery can begin to form more secure attachments and break the cycle of addiction.

Reach Out for Support

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction, please know that help is available. Understanding the roots of addiction through attachment theory is a powerful step towards healing, but the journey requires guidance and support.

At Asana Lodge, we specialise in personalised, compassionate care that addresses both the physical and emotional aspects of addiction. Contact Asana Lodge for a free consultation and take the first step towards recovery. Reach our expert team by calling 01908489421 or emailing us at info@asanalodge.com.