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Birth
Carter is born. -
Infancy
Carter experiences regular abuse and neglect from his mother. He is fearful of his parents and does not have a good attachment with anyone. His mother was also abused when she was a child and suffers from bipolar disorder. She takes out her anger on Carter but he is unable to deal with such distress as an infant. He has learned he cannot count on his mother to help or provide for him so his behavior is erratic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpQtPsuhLzc -
Toddlerhood
Carter shows no preference between parents and strangers. He faces a dilemma because his source of safety is also his source of fear. He has temper tantrums very often because he doesn't know how to express himself and does not know any way to regulate his emotions. He also shows conflicting behavior like seeking physical contact and then immediately rejecting it.
https://youaremom.com/characteristics-children-disorganized-attachment/ -
Early School Age
Carter shows self-stimulating behavior like pacing and rocking. He is very withdrawn in his kindergarten class and is suspicious of the people around him. He often seems dazed and has no interest in exploring his surroundings because he is overwhelmed by uncertainty. He shows a combination of resistant and avoidant behaviors and he lacks any coping strategies to deal with his anxiety.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILCnLqcxSDc -
Middle Childhood
Carter is struggling in school. He doesn't trust any adults, including his teacher at school. Because he doesn't get attention at home, he frequently gets sent to the principal's office for acting out and trying to draw attention to himself. He also has problems with attention and concentration because he never learned self-regulation skills like impulse control and perseverance from his mother.
https://exploringyourmind.com/5-consequences-of-disorganized-attachment/ -
Early Adolescence
Carter is 15 and has been experimenting with drugs and alcohol in order to cope with the depression and anxiety he is experiencing. He doesn't have many friends because he sees the world as an unsafe place and has never truly been able to rely on someone else. He also is not doing well in school because of his attention issues and because he lacks any motivation.
https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/how-to-recognize-and-heal-teen-attachment-disorder/ -
Later Adolescence
Carter is struggling emotionally and socially. He is very withdrawn from others as he lacks self confidence and sees himself as unworthy of love. He disregards rules and can be very selfish at times, which has caused him to get into trouble with the law. He frequently feels angry and overreacts to small problems because he is so defensive and afraid to get hurt again.
https://www.center4familydevelop.com/adults.htm -
Early Adulthood
Carter met a woman he wants to be with but their relationship is extremely chaotic. Even though he loves her, he finds it very difficult to show affection and is insensitive to her needs. He wants to have a secure relationship but lacks the trust needed to let his partner help create it. He has trouble controlling his emotions and is afraid of getting hurt like he has in the past.
rg/how-your-attachment-style-impacts-your-relationship/ -
Middle Adulthood
Now 40 years old, Carter has decided to get help and go to a therapist for his attachment issues. He decided to get help because he wants to get married and have kids but is struggling to be a loving, emotionally stable partner. He is able to form a secure bond with his therapist and learn to trust and cope with his emotions effectively, something he has not been able to do before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeQj2WrQFZM -
Later Adulthood
Carter has been going to therapy and on an antidepressant for years now. He was able to get married but still struggles with the ability to handle stressful situations and does not trust many people at all. Although he has gotten help, he still suffers with post traumatic stress and does not speak to his mother. He sometimes has nightmares but is now able to recognize and accept that he has issues.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/201802/healing-attachment-issues