Lost in Translation: Disorganised Attachment

Not too long ago, I wrote the first post of my attachment myth-busting series. In this series, I aim at providing examples of the most prevalent myths surrounding attachment theory and science as well as more accurate and up-to-date explanations.

My first attachment myth-busting post was about disorganised attachment — what it is, what it isn’t, and particularly the confusion surrounding insecure-disorganised attachment in adults.

I’ve had quite a few discussions about disorganised attachment with other attachment researchers since. And I saw that, more recently, my post was picked up and scrutinised by others — for example, as part of an episode of The Psychology in Seattle Podcast.

These experiences drew my attention back to disorganised attachment. What really is and isn’t disorganised attachment, and why do we seem to be lost in translation when talking about it?

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