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3 Potential Signs They Have An Anxious Attachment Style
They struggle with low self-esteem.
By Molly Burford
In the 1950s, Dr. John Bowlby and Dr. Mary Ainsworth developed attachment theory in order to explain children’s relationships with their caregivers. Then in the 1980s, Dr. Cindy Hazan and Dr. Phillip Shaver used attachment theory to explore how attachment functions within adult relationships.
Dr. Hazan and Dr. Shaver identified four main attachment styles in adults: anxious, avoidant, disorganized, and secure. Knowing your own attachment style as well as those of others can be helpful in understanding each other better.
Here are three signs they have an anxious attachment style.
1. They need a lot of reassurance.
People who have an anxious attachment style may need constant reassurance from their partners. According to The Attachment Project, adults with an anxious attachment style will often seek reminders that they are loved, worthy, and good enough.
An anxious attachment style develops in childhood, typically as the result of an inconsistent caregiver. While the child’s needs were met sometimes, there were other occasions when the parent or caregiver would be unresponsive or unable to meet those…
