#### [[Insecure Attachment]] --- > "An individual who has an insecure attachment to another typically feels anxious about the relationship and whether or not their own needs or desires can be met by the other person," holistic psychologist [[@Nicole Lippman-Barile]], Ph.D., says. "They may expect the person to abandon them or hurt them in some way." > <br> > [[Insecure Attachment]] is an umbrella term to describe all attachment styles that are not secure attachment style. The three types of insecure attachment are anxious, avoidant, and fearful-avoidant, which are also known in children as ambivalent, [[Avoidant Attachment|avoidant]], and disorganized.^[https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/insecure-attachment-style ] Insecure attachment to me sounds like someone who is constantly afraid that their relationship might end. What comes to mind is abandonment issues where they might be super clingy, neurotic, and obsessive. > **What causes insecure attachment?** > <br> > Attachment styles are developed in childhood and formed by caregiver-child relationships. "It's essentially how we were emotionally cared for—or not cared for—as children growing up," Lippman-Barile explains. People with insecure attachment styles generally lacked consistency, reliability, support, and safety during childhood, Ajjan says. > <br> > **Example behaviors:** > <br> > *In childhood* > - Clingy to caregiver > - Actively avoiding caregiver > - Frequently crying inconsolably > - Hiding or repressing emotions > - Becoming upset or panicked when a parent leaves them > - Appearing independent while secretly wanting attention > - Fear of exploration, especially in a new situation > - Poor emotional regulation > > *In adulthood* > - Low sense of self-worth and self-esteem > - Struggles asking for help > - Pushes others away > - Fear of abandonment > - Overly dependent or clingy toward a partner > - Overly independent or resistant to intimacy with partner > - Constantly seeking reassurance in a relationship > - Jealous and threatened by a partner's independence --- Tags: [[Psychology]] - [[Relationships]] - [[Communication]] - [[Emotions]] Reference: [[& 2021-01-08 Leadership and Loneliness]] Related: - [[Avoidant Attachment]]