All articles tagged with #attachment styles
A large international study identified four psychological profiles of gamers—avoidant, engaged, relational, and dysregulated—each linked to different mental health and attachment patterns, highlighting the complex relationship between gaming behavior and psychological well-being, with implications for tailored clinical interventions.
Research suggests that couples who frequently post about each other on social media may be masking relationship insecurities, particularly those with anxious attachment styles who seek reassurance. While avoidant partners may prefer privacy, anxiously attached individuals often use social media to gain validation. Therapists note that oversharing can detract from quality time and may reflect deeper issues, though motivations for posting vary widely. Ultimately, social media often portrays an idealized version of relationships, not the full reality.
Psychologist Dr. Sarah Hensley challenges the popular relationship advice of "if they wanted to, they would," calling it a generic pop psychology lie. She explains that a large majority of the population has a dismissive avoidant attachment style, which triggers trauma responses of fleeing and freezing when faced with emotional intimacy or conflict. Dr. Hensley emphasizes that these responses are not a matter of choice but a capacity issue rooted in childhood attachment experiences. She highlights the importance of healing trauma responses and developing healthy coping skills to show up authentically in relationships. Understanding our wounds allows us to work on ourselves and build emotional toolsets for healthier connections.
"Vanderpump Rules" star Raquel Leviss, along with mental health experts, discusses the concept of love addiction. Although it is not officially recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, experts agree that love addiction is a legitimate phenomenon that can have destructive consequences. Love addiction is characterized by anxiety, fears of unworthiness and abandonment, and a craving for approval and intimacy. It can be exacerbated by inconsistent affection in relationships. Therapists recommend seeking professional help, joining support groups, understanding attachment styles, and allowing oneself to feel and confront emotions as part of the healing process.
A study published in The Journal of Sex Research explores how sexual dysfunction in young adulthood may be related to anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and childhood victimization. Results showed that insecure attachment, including anxious and avoidant attachment styles, can affect sexual dysfunction due to the reasons that people decide to have sex. People who reported having sex for pleasure tended to have lower levels of sexual dysfunction. This study took important steps into better understanding how both attachment style and interpersonal childhood victimization related to sexual dysfunction for emerging adults.
A new study published in Personal Relationships suggests that adult attachment styles play a key role in maternal gatekeeping among new parents. The study found that mothers with heightened attachment anxiety tended to self-report higher maternal gate closing, while fathers with heightened attachment avoidance were more likely to perceive their partners as being less encouraging of their involvement in parenting. The findings provide evidence that adult attachment styles are associated with how much a new mother tries to involve or exclude a father in parenting their child.