In this article, we\u2019ll discuss the relationship between addiction and attachment theory<\/a> by covering: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Any substance dependence or addictive disorder is complex – both in regards to how it develops and is maintained. However, one contending view is of addiction as an attachment disorder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To be human is to be social. From a very early age, we are innately driven to forge connections with others to meet our needs for closeness and comfort. According to Bowlby\u2019s attachment theory<\/a>, how our caregivers meet these needs is the determinant of the attachment style we develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a caregiver makes themselves available and sensitive to a child\u2019s needs, then the child develops a secure attachment style. Resultingly, the child is provided with a sense of safety, security, and comfort. Each of these functions as a source of resilience against life\u2019s difficulties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, children with an insecure attachment style might lack such resources. Individuals with caregivers that were inconsistent, rejecting, or neglectful towards their needs may be vulnerable to addictions. This is because they might cope with their feelings of loneliness, emptiness, and discomfort by self-medicating. Of course, not every insecure attacher<\/a> develops an addiction. Our life experiences are unique and how we respond to them differs from person to person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Addiction is defined by a lack of control over taking, doing, or using something to the extent that it becomes harmful to the individual doing so. The DSM-5<\/em> (the most widely used and well-known psychodiagnostic manual) describes addiction with a set of eleven criteria, which include taking a substance in larger quantities or for a longer time than intended, struggling to stop, or having intense cravings for that substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We commonly associate addiction with drugs, alcohol, nicotine, and gambling. But it can also be linked to pretty much any activity or substance, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essentially, a core aspect of addiction is a compulsive nature around a substance or behavior <\/strong>and the level of sacrifices one is willing to make<\/strong> to obtain a psychological or physical \u201chigh.\u201d Unfortunately, many people living with addiction may feel like they are unable to control their habits for sustained periods of time without treatment and intervention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers don\u2019t yet fully understand why some people develop addictions, and others don\u2019t. Still, there is an undeniable neurological component to their formation. When we start to develop an addiction, our pleasure\/reward pathway in the brain starts to work against us – forcing us to want more and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dopamine<\/strong>, a central neurotransmitter in the reward pathway, plays a large role in how we feel pleasure<\/strong>. For this reason, it is strongly associated with addiction processes, as it is released when we take substances, engage in certain activities, or see someone we love. Furthermore, the opioid system plays a big role in our reward pathway, being characteristically responsible for feelings of pain and pleasure in our bodies. Opioids trigger the release of endorphins<\/strong>, which dull the sensation of pain and increase feelings of pleasure<\/strong>. However, the issue is when our brain starts to only associate dopamine and endorphin release with a certain substance or action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point in the addiction process, when we stop receiving \u201chighs\u201d from things that would normally have brought us pleasure. We start to feel anxious and stressed when we\u2019re not taking the addictive substance or engaging in a specific activity. So we indulge our addiction to keep from feeling bad rather than for its gratifying effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, the prefrontal cortex in the decision-making center<\/strong> of our brains can be damaged by repeated substance abuse<\/strong>. So, we struggle to recognize the harm that we are doing to ourselves through our addiction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But is the development and maintenance of addictions solely down to our neurochemistry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to the indisputable role of neurological factors in addiction, researchers started to question whether it was the only contributing agent in how addictions are developed and maintained. As a response, in the 1970s, a series of studies were conducted to better understand the process of substance abuse. <\/p>\n\n\n In a very brief summary, Bruce Alexander and colleagues studied how rats would behave in an environment with the choice of having water mixed in with a drug or not. They found that almost all of the rats chose the bottle of water mixed with an addictive substance<\/strong> over the one without. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When the researchers ran this experiment again, they decided to change up the environment. This time, they created what they called \u201cRat Park.\u201d Rat Park consisted of the same two water bottles (one with an addictive substance and one without). This time, however, there were toys and other rats that the studied rats could choose to interact with. In the Rat Park version, a very small percentage of rats chose to opt for the drug-infused water. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In essence, Alexander and colleagues helped clarify that addiction is not just a physical or biological response to a chemical<\/strong>. It\u2019s actually much more complex than that, and our environment plays a big role.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n The findings from this experiment imply that feeling engaged and connected to our environment – and the people within it – are crucial factors in understanding how addiction develops and perpetuates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From the Rat Park experiment, we can determine that what deterred the rats from wanting the drug-infused water was a feeling of connection or involvement with their surroundings. Similarly, when we don\u2019t feel connected to our environment or the people in it, we can feel out of place, misunderstood, and ultimately lonely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Professor Peter Cohen, a sociologist who specializes in drug addictions, proposes to change how we use the term addiction and to use the term strong bonding <\/em>instead – \u201can emotional process that creates ties that cannot be shed at will.\u201d The stronger the bond, the harder it is to distance oneself from the object of this bond, be it a person, object, substance, food, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Experts in the field of addiction have proposed that addiction and attachment are strongly associated<\/strong>. This applies specifically to the fact that addiction can arise from relational problems. This connection can be illustrated by highlighting the criteria of addiction that parallel insecure attachment<\/strong>, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The link between attachment and addiction can be further understood through the fact that over 80% of people with drug addiction have been found to have experienced some level of abuse or neglect in their childhoods. This effect may be even more prevalent in people with a disorganized attachment style, as they are more likely to have a history of early mistreatment in childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, addiction studies have shown that people who battle with dependency also struggle immensely with maintaining healthy relationships. Let\u2019s face it – an addiction to drugs or other substances has probably never positively impacted a relationship. Substance dependence creates conflict, trust issues, and hurt feelings<\/strong> for either one partner or both. Yet, to feel like we belong is an innate human need. Seeing as the misuse of substances can buffer against feelings of inadequacy or ineptitude in social settings (including relationships), a negative cycle is created – thus further damaging a relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n People who struggle with emotion regulation are more likely to use substances as a crutch in relationships. Those of us with an insecure attachment style may not have been given the opportunity to learn healthy emotion regulation strategies from our caregivers as they may have been misattuned to our needs or else emotionally unavailable to us. Therefore, insecure attachers may be more likely to resort to substances as a means to manage intense emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As we outlined earlier, it is possible to become addicted to many different substances, actions, and even relationships<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Attachment is an emotional bond that we develop to feel safe and secure as infants. Our caregiver\u2019s presence had a calming effect on us. If they were attentive and attuned, we felt content and fulfilled. Our attachment needs change as we develop, so our attachment figures tend to change along with our needs. However, while it is normal to depend on our loved ones (including romantic partners) as adults, what we need to consider is whether we do so in a healthy, appropriate manner. <\/p>\n\n\n There is a distinction between relying on an attachment figure and being addicted to them<\/strong>. The difference being the effect that this level of dependency has. For example, we might depend on insulin if we have diabetes. Yet, this dependence probably wouldn\u2019t be considered an addiction, even though it may resemble a couple of its aspects. In a similar vein, a newborn is entirely dependent on the adults around them, as they need them for survival on every level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it would not be appropriate for someone who does not have diabetes to take drugs for the condition, or for an adult who does not have any outstanding limitations to their survival to depend on someone in the same way as a newborn baby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the ways we can become addicted to a person is through limerence. Limerence<\/a> is the term used to describe when we can\u2019t stop obsessively thinking about someone<\/strong>, typically involving the following experiences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s okay if you can relate to some of these to an extent. This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you\u2019ve experienced limerence. However, limerence is not just a strong crush on someone; it\u2019s a romantic obsession.<\/strong> Essentially, limerence can be considered a love addiction as it can drive inappropriate behaviors and even unhealthy relationships. If you want more informations on the topic, now our new article on how to beat limerence!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n People who experience limerence are commonly those who have experienced neglect, rejection, or trauma in their childhood. Moreover, it is more prevalent among people with insecure attachment, especially the anxious attachment style<\/strong>. This is because the anxious attachment style<\/a> is characterized by clingy behaviors in relationships<\/a>, rumination, and excessive worry about a partner. So, if an anxious attacher is strongly triggered, they may respond with limerance behaviors – or in other words, a love addiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Addiction and Attachment Theory<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat Is Addiction?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Biology of Addiction <\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe Psychological Component of Addiction – Rat Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAddiction as Strong Bonding<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Addiction as an Attachment Disorder<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How Does Addiction Relate to Attachment Styles?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
#1. Addictions May Be Rooted in Childhood Abuse<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#2. Addictions Harm Interpersonal Relationships<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
#3. Addictions May Provide a False Sense of Regulation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Can You Be Addicted to a Person?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nAddiction as Infatuation – Limerence<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Treating Addiction By Creating Connections<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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