Attachment Trauma, Dissociation, and Addictive Behaviors: A Psychodynamic Perspective

Abstract

This article examines the interconnections among attachment trauma, dissociation, and addictive behaviors from a psychodynamic perspective. Drawing on contemporary theoretical and empirical developments, we contend that early adverse experiences - such as neglect, abuse, and inconsistent caregiving - disrupt the formation of secure internal working models of attachment and impair affect regulation. This disruption prompts a dissociative reorganization of the self, emerging as a defensive process that compartmentalizes traumatic memories and mitigates overwhelming emotional distress. Although initially adaptive, dissociation may become entrenched, resulting in fragile self-cohesion and a maladaptive reliance on external regulatory strategies. Within this framework, addictive behaviors are conceptualized not merely as compulsive or reward-driven phenomena but as compensatory mechanisms that externally manage dysregulated affect while simultaneously maintaining the segregation of traumatized mental states. The clinical implications of this model underscore the need for integrative interventions for individuals who display addictive behaviors that address their underlying attachment trauma, thereby fostering self-cohesion, emotional integration, and more adaptive self-regulation strategies.

Keywords: Attachment trauma; addictive behaviors; psychodynamics; self-medication; self-states.