Way Christian Counselors Approach Integration. free essay sample

Do attachment disorders have significant affect on the lives of adopted children? Some studies have linked the possible development of psychiatric disorders with insure attachment. What are the treatments and are the treatments effective? Will the adopted child gain the ability to trust or even love the adoptive parents? As we will soon discover, attachment disorder is more complex than the general public would ever consider. All adopted children suffer from type of attachment disorder. The most severe of the attachment disorder RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) is extremely challenging for the child and the adoptive family. The misdiagnosis of RAD delays treatment; early treatment is essential for these children. Lacher, Nichols, and May gives options on facilitating attachments in RAD clients through the stories of other children with RAD. We will explore the varying types of attachment disorder, treatment methods, and the effectiveness of the treatment. Introduction: The subject of Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children is personal for me. We will write a custom essay sample on Way Christian Counselors Approach Integration. or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My inability to conceive, along with my desire to be a mother, prompted my husband and me to explore adoption. As I briefly research this disorder, I will attempt to simplify the psychological/scientific data in order for a prospective adoptive parent to understand. The state in which we resided at that time played on my emotional state. During this Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children2 time, my husband had a 17 year-old son from a previous marriage; therefore he was more objective than was I. My husband and I were never introduced to infants, even though we knew there were infants in the state system. We even met a couple who was given an infant only to find out that she had a relative who was a social worker for the agency. Believing there was no hope of getting an infant, my husband and I brought home a 9 year-old girl. One year later we were asked to bring in 18 month old twin boys as an emergency placement. After exploring the types of attachment disorders, treatments, and effectiveness of treatment, the prospective adoptive parent will have the information needed in order to make an informed decision. The information obtained in this presentation would have been extremely beneficial for us. We were made aware of her attachment disorder but no one explained it in detail. Our concept of attachment disorder at that time was that she had an issue forming some emotional ties. To my dismay, the attachment disorder she had was more intense. After approximately three years of caring for this child and not observing any signs of bonding from her, we relinquished our parental rights. I thought I would help her recover because I loved her. And as I believed, love would be enough. She was known in the city as a runaway and would get in the automobiles of anyone who would stop and talk with her. We relinquished our rights in order to protect her; this was my final act as a mother to this child. The relinquishing of parental rights came with several emotions, even though this child had not bonding with us, we bonding with her. We experienced loss, anger, and confusion; in other words we went through the grieving Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children3 process. With extra training and social workers explaining attachment disorder in detail, the placement would have had a better chance of survival. We had the twins for five and one half years with plans to adopt. The biological mother’s rights were terminated but not the biological father who is current serving time in the state penitentiary system. The twins have never met the biological father; he was imprisoned shortly after their birth. Our boys are away from us currently, but we are trusting God for the return of our sons. According to The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition), attachment is the state of being personally attached (permanently fixed): fidelity: affectionate regard. Also, disorder is to disturb the regular or normal functions of. Therefore, attachment disorder is the disturbance of regular or normal functions of affectionate regards. As mentioned in the introduction, this definition is accepted by the laity and is not the full concept of the disorder. In all actuality attachment disorder is more complex than the aforementioned definition would portray. Attachment disorders can be observed in every stage of life; for this document we will focus on its effect on children (infants to pre-adolescents). Development of attachment during infancy/toddlers years is important in developing social interactions as the child journeys through life. When children experience attachment to a given person, they feel pleasure when they are with them and feel comfort by their presence in the times of distress. † (Feldman, 2010, page 179. Attachment disorder is more complicated than mere emotional ties. Attachment disorder is also influenced by the environment (thoughts and ideas). An example of Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children4 environmental influences is Christianity or secularism. The child may not have emotional ties to Christianity but the child has been exposed to this information in the home environment. An example of either prolonged experiences of mother-child separation or deprivation of maternal care (lack of attachment) was common among adolescents who had a history of stealingthis was also known as â€Å"affectionless† (Bowlby, 1944). There are three stages that an infant goes through related to attachment disruption: protest, despair, and detachment. Parental response to infant’s basic needs influences the infant’s attachment style. Sensitivity of the parent leads to a secure attachment; lack of sensitivity yields insecure attachment. Causes of Attachment Disorder What are the causes of attachment disorders? Attachment disorder occurs for many reasons. The primary cause is the inability of the child to consistently connect due to varying factors. Some factors which disrupt a connection are: (1) A baby’s immediate needs (hungry, wet, etc. ) are not attended to for hours. (2) No interaction (no one looks at child, talks to, etc. ), so the baby feels alone (3) Young child gets attention (positive or negative) only by acting out or displaying extreme behavior (4) Mistreatment of or abuse of child (5) A child is moved from one caregiver to another (due to loss of parent, foster Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children5 are or adoption). Help Guide. org Types of Attachment Disorders What are the types of attachment disorders? Avoidant, Anxious/Ambivalent, Disorganized and Reactive are a few. All of these disorders will have an affect on future relationships. Avoidant attachment occurs when children protect themselves by rejecting attachment. When a child does not trust the present attac hment this is known as anxious/ambivalent attachment. Disorganized attachment is difficult to understand by the child may move very rapidly between extreme closeness and extreme distance. Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a severe form of insecure divided into two categories: Inhibited (emotionally withdrawn) and disinhibited (overly sociable with strangers, indiscriminately seeks affection and comfort. Signs and Symptoms What are some of the signs and symptoms of attachment disorders? In infants attachment disorders can be exhibited in avoiding eye contact, doesn’t smile, isn’t interested in playing, displays a lack of interest upon return of the caregiver, and doesn’t reach to be picked up. Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children6 Signs and symptoms of RAD (reactive attachment disorder) are for inhibitedextremely withdrawn, emotionally detached, acts out in aggression when other try to get close. Disinhibitedprefer other adults over parent figure even strangers, seek comfort from anyone, acts much younger than chronological age and appears chronically anxious. Most children with RAD are misdiagnosed. These children are given diagnosis of attachment disorder, defiant disorder, depression, ADHD to name a few. RAD clients may experience a myriad of symptom exhibited from numerous disorders as above. Self mutilation and self-defeating acts are prevalent (Lyon-Ruth, 1996). Lack of empathy, pathological lying, and professional manipulation are also characteristics of RAD. These three issues are the leading cause of failed placement. Affection is governed at the discretion of the child. The children react on the extreme polar ends (clinging to total avoidance). Treatment There are various methods of treatment. Treatments involve attachment parenting (Babywise), various conceptual therapies, physical concept (re-birthing), neurofeedback therapy, and other counseling methods. Babywise Parenting claims that parents can establish a rountine in their baby’s life from day one and stick to it no matter what. Parent-Directed Feeding (PDF) is an infant-management strategy designed to meet the nutritional, physical, and emotional needs of the baby as well as the needs of the whole Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children7 family (Ezzo and Buckman, 1995, page 38). Two related dangers threaten successful parenting: not understanding the significance of the husband-wife relationship in the parenting process and the hazard of child-centered parenting (Ezzo and Buckman, 1995, page 19). A conceptual therapy includes but is not limited to; a family service plan. A family service plan model phases with measurable goals. An example of the family service plan is phase one: ensure the safety of the child, increase feelings of trust for all involved family members, and immediately stabilize outburst; phase two: establish and maintain boundaries; phase three: develop cohesive relationship with home and school. With everyone actively participating in the therapy the child has a better chance of establishing an attachment. Re-birth has been used as a physical concept therapy. Re-birth is the physical reenactment of birth. Candace Newmaker (10 year old) suffocated during a re-birth treatment carried out by her therapist. Neurofeedback is using EEG’s to detect brain wave patterns along with a reward system to reduce some neurological occurrences (seizures, ADHD, etc. ). Psychologist Laurence Hirshberg reflecting on a treatment stated, â€Å"You take a child with RAD who struggled for years with expressing any feeling of warmth and affection. You do five or six (neurofeedback) session, and suddenly, the parents report, ‘O my God, he’s showing warmth and affection. ’ He sits next to them on the couch, he smiles. One model for treatment is early diagnosis, placement in a secure environment, specialized parenting training, family functioning and coping skills and working with the child and family in a natural environment and less in client environment. The most significant application in a successful outcome is quality Attachment Disorders of Adopted Children8 training of the adoptive parents. The parents must be â€Å"thick skinned† which means unshakable or immovable. Above love, the family must have an insurmountable amount of patience. Essentially, these parents will be coming non-professional expert therapist.