How to Treat Reactive Attachment Disorder

Reactive attachment disorder is a serious psychological disorder that affects infants. The disease is listed in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders). It affects children and infants, and as the child grows up, his/her personality may be like a histrionic person. The disorder develops during the childhood, and cannot be cured completely. It commonly affects infants, and there are plenty of causes that can lead to this serious disorder. Before proceeding to find the answers to how to treat it, let's get an overview of this disorder itself.

An Overview

When a baby is ignored and not given adequate care and attention, it develops a dislike for the parents and caregivers. There are plenty of causes that lead to this attachment disorder in children; and if steps are not taken to prevent it, it can lead to many future complications. This disorder cannot be cured totally, but some measures can help develop the child into a mature and responsible being. As the child grows up, he / she may find it difficult to establish relationships and trust others around.

Causes

In a reactive attachment disorder, the child fails to develop a bond with the parents or the caregiver. There are no sure-shot causes that lead to this disorder. The unhappiness of the pregnant mother during her pregnancy can also develop this disorder in a baby. The hostile behavior of a caregiver and parents is the reason for the disorder in children. The hostile and resentful behavior affects the brain development of the child. The child doesn't feel safe in the parents company, and experiences lack of attachment. If the caregiver does not behave well, the child tends to restrict himself socially, and finds it hard to bond with people around. A child in an orphanage can also develop this disorder, because it doesn't get enough love and care, and is also subjected to harsh behavior on most occasions. The child also lacks attention from parents, in case there are other issues in the family. A child of parents with a history of mental illnesses is also susceptible to develop this disorder. The symptoms start showing up very early, even before the child reaches five years of age.

Symptoms in Babies

• The baby cries and avoids any cajoling from the parents.
• The baby never smiles and is always in a sullen mood.
• Babies normally react when you leave them alone, but babies with reactive attachment disorder do not show any such signs.
• The baby avoids eye contact and doesn't react or make any noise when you are around.

Symptoms of in Children and Adults

Children above 3 years of age and adults may show the following symptoms.

• These children avoid strangers and any care or love from them.
• Those with this disorder do not display any affection or inclination to talk to close ones, let alone any strangers.
• People with this disorder are hard to deal with and often behave aggressively. There is often a display of an angry feeling and resentment towards others.
• The people with this disorder are keen observers but never participate in any discussions.
• They always hide their emotions and never share their feelings with others.

The signs can sometimes be contradictory. The behavior is classified into two types - inhibited behavior and dis-inhibited behavior. In inhibited behavior, the child isolates itself from the social world and keeps itself away from strangers. In the dis-inhibited type of behavior, the children and adults with this disorder often seek attention from others.

Treatment

This disorder cannot be cured completely, but certain measures can help reduce the symptoms. The symptoms of this disorder are similar to the symptoms of other disorders, thus, only a psychiatrist can effectively diagnose it properly. The diagnosis includes complete evaluation of the child's behavior. The treatment begins once the disorder is confirmed. Following are the treatment techniques...

The treatment for this disease involves the child and the parents or caregiver. The treatment procedure is a combined effort from the psychiatrists and medical experts, and makes use of medications and counseling. The parents and caregivers are educated about the disorder and are taught techniques to deal with the child. The environment where the child lives is also evaluated, and it is made sure that he has a safe and pleasant environment around him / her. Give your child all the attention and make sure that you are behaving with him politely. Suppress your anger when the child is behaving inappropriately. Talk and play with your child, and make him understand emotions like love and care.

Apart from the behavior of the parents, other techniques like making the child join some social and personality development group, also helps. The role of diet and exercise in brain development cannot be ignored. The diet should be a right balance of all the foods that are rich in ingredients, that help brain development. Ensure that your child gets enough sleep. Make your child do various exercises, and it acts a stress buster and heals the mind.

It is often the case that the parents feel frustrated and annoyed by the child's behavior. The key here is to remain calm and engage yourself in some calming techniques. Hope this article helped a bit in understanding how to treat reactive attachment disorder. Stay happy and safe.