Attachment, Shame, and Trauma

Early parent-child attachment interactions guided by right-to-right brain synchrony are the foundation of emotional development and the quality of attachment relationships. Interactive failures are the hallmark of not only insecurity and trauma but also the internalization of shame. The purpose of this study was to advance our understanding of the relation between attachment and shame. The study explored a range of shame experiences, from normal socialization to harsh treatment and abuse. Debilitating shame was expected for individuals who had not mourned attachment trauma.

Attachment was assessed using The Adult Attachment Projective (AAP) system in a sample of 245 adults. The AAP identifies the traditional regulated attachment classifications (Secure, Dismissing, Preoccupied) and, in addition to Unresolved attachment, three forms of incomplete mourning-Failed Mourning, Preoccupied with Personal Suffering, and Traumatized Secure. The study used participants' narratives regarding three AAP classifications when "alone" to examine individual differences in representations of the shamed self contexts portraying the self in Private, Exposed, and Threatening situations.

All study hypotheses were confirmed. Adults with regulated attachments (Secure, Dismissing, Preoccupied) were significantly less likely to ascribe shame to the AAP pictures than traumatized adults. The patterns of results were the same when comparing differences in shame intensity and outcomes. There were no differences in shame intensity in the regulated group. Shame intensity for the Traumatized Secures was somewhat greater. There was a significant increase observed in the traumatized groups, with the Unresolved group showing the highest ratings. Reparative outcomes were significantly related to attachment security, although not to the extent expected. Secure, regulated insecure (Dismissing, Preoccupied), and some traumatized individuals described reconciliation and functional restitution. Unresolved individuals left shame unremedied. Regression analysis demonstrated that attachment classification was a greater predictor of shame intensity than outcomes. Conculusions: Attachment and neurological development are intertwined. Childhood interactive failures are deeply traumatic. If not mourned, shame takes its place in the identity core. This study provides clinicians with an in-depth perspective on attachment and shame assessment for goal-setting in therapy, consonant with their patients' attachment representations.