Reactive Attachment Essay

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PSY101 3/1/10 Reactive Attachment Disorder Reactive Attachment Disorder, or RAD, is a severe form of attachment disorder. It is a condition in which individuals cannot form loving and permanent intimate relationships with other people. They cannot and do not trust anyone to take care of them besides themselves. Having normal affection towards anyone, including pets, is so farfetched for RAD children. They do not grow a conscious; they can act without guilt for a single action. In order to successfully emotionally and psychologically develop, infants need attachments with others. They require the love and nurture brought on by a mother. Between birth and three years are the prime years where the bond between the mother and child affects the development the most. The relationship quality the child will have for the rest of his/her life solely depends on the care and love received from the mother or permanent caregiver. The aspects of parenting that will have a negative or positive effect on the child’s development are very basic. They are the essential “jobs” for the mother or caregiver of the child. They include responding to the baby’s cries, feeding on time, comforting, soothing, and making sure the child is far away from abuse and danger. Also, if the child is passed frequently throughout the infant years from orphanages and foster homes, there is no permanent bond formed with any caregiver for the child. Neglecting, abandoning, and not having a stable home are the most dangerous causes of Reactive Attachment Disorder. There are many other causes for a child developing RAD. According to Nancy Thomas, those are unwanted pregnancy, pre-birth exposure to trauma, drugs, alcohol, separation from primary caregiver due to illness or death, on-going pain such as ear infection or colic, and caring for the baby on a timed schedule which is self-centered
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