-
Antonio: Anxious Ambivalent Attachment
-
Antonio: Anxious Ambivalent Attachment
-
Period: to
Antonio as an infant
During Antonio's infancy, his mother was extremely inconsistent. Right after he was born she was very nurturing, making sure she created a bond with him by breastfeeding, etc.. As the months went by, however, she paid less and less attention to him, stopped playing with him and eventually went back to work. At about 12 months, she lost her job and continued where she left off by spending a lot of time with him. A few months later, she got a new job and, again, stopped spending time with him. -
Period: to
Toddlerhood
Shortly after Antonio turned 2, his mother began to be intrusive towards him. He had grown accustomed to his mother barely paying any attention him that when she started to seem interested in him, he became uncomfortable and distrustful with. She noticed the distance he was creating and started doing the same. After a year of on and off emotional support from his mom, they eventually damaged their relationship. This left Antonio confused and distant and was very careful around new people. -
Period: to
Early School Age
At 4 years old, Antonio began school. With the trust issues that he developed through his relationship with his mother, it would be hard for him to create successful friendships. He became extremely clingy towards the people he interacted with at school, which the other children resented. He was constantly seeking approval from others in the classroom all the way to 6 years old. During these 2 years, he only made one or two friends who didn't shun him for his attachment issues. -
Period: to
Middle Childhood
As Antonio got a little older, he continued to attempt to cling to his mother. Now that their relationship was already rocky, he was so confused as to why she didn't love him. She didn't realize that the inconsistency in her care was the reason why he was so unsure about the new people he met and the way he constantly worried about if they didn't like him. He began to rely heavily on his few friends for the attention he didn't get at home. -
Period: to
Early Adolescence
As Antonio reached teenage years, he began developing crushes. With this need to feel loved and accepted, he put his trust into the people he dated as the years progressed. When he turned 16, he asked someone out who he had known for years. When she rejected his request, his insecurities got the best of him and he felt as though it was his fault that she didn't like him. He relied on his friends to reassure him that it wasn't his fault, rather it was her who was not ready to date. -
Period: to
Later Adolescence
Antonio graduated at 18 and went away to college. Now that he has moved away from his mother, he still has trust issues and lost many friends because of it. As he got older, his insecurities began controlling his everyday activities because of the way he had to please everyone around him. He finished college at 22 with the best grades in the school. Although he was successful, trying as hard as he did, made him more anxious and stressed than the average student. -
Period: to
Early Adulthood