How Carers Can Enable Children to Address Issues of Addiction and Self Harm Effectively - Assignment Example

Running Head: CARERS AND CHILDREN How Carers Can Enable Children to Address Issues of Addiction and Self Harm Effectively By Name of University Introduction For some children growing up in the family home is made impossible by environments riddled with such problems including those such as abuse, neglect, and addiction. This creates an attachment disorder resulting in a child displaying obsessive-compulsive behaviour, drug addictions, and self-harm. Such behaviours need to be addressed by carers in fostering agencies in order to affectively assist such children in dealing with and overcoming such destructive behavior. The Links Between Unmet Infant Attachment Needs and Issues of Dependency, Control and Shame in Addiction "Attachment functions to provide proximity and protection: proximity between an individual and his or her caregiver and protection from predators" (citing Bowlby, 1973; Helm, Simpson, & Trippany, 2006, p. 3). There are seven steps of attachment that play a part in healthy human development: Claiming - Safety with the primary caregiver, which creates a core identity for the child Attunement - The child's stress is regulated by the caregiver, thereby the child feels trust Affective Attunement - Intimacy with the caregiver develops empathy in the child Impulse Regulation - Social acceptability, which in turn teaches the child moral accountability Shame Regulation - The child is taught personal responsibility, which gives rise to social learning Rage Management - The child learns to adapt when angry, and how to focus angry energy Pre-cognitive Patterning - Thinking skills are developed, and the child gains a sense of meaning and purpose If a child is lacking these intimate levels of attachment, the child will place their trust in substances or rituals as substitutes for the intimacy and trust that was lost during the attachment period. To the contrary, when the individual who has experienced normal attachment during childhood engages in such activities such as alcohol, drugs, shopping, and dining, etc, these activities do not become an addiction because there is no unmet need for these behaviours to fill. For the unattached child, the use of chemical substances or obsessive behavior may begin as a way for the child to ease the pain they are experiencing, leaving them fulfilled and satisfied. However, this intermittent activity quickly turns into an addiction, as the child begins to believe their emotional needs are being met by the drug use or negative obsessive behaviour. People around such addicts begin to be seen as objects, which begins to mirror the relationship the child has with the substance or the behaviour. This is also the way the child was treated by his or her primary cargiver, as the child was ignored and many times exposed to rage and anger. This destructive behaviour then continues a pattern the child have become accustomed to in their dysfunctional upbringing. Additionally, children who lack these seven steps of attachment to a primary caregiver do not have a normal experience with shame. If the child's original carer is abusive, neglectful, or addictive, this results in a caregiver who is unattached and withdrawn. The child then feels constant or random shame, either due to the withdrawal of the carer, or the shame showered on the child by the carer. According to Karen Cairns: Young children may experience shame-generating response from others in their environment whenever they express some other affect such as distress or fear or rage. This creates an automatic link between the original affect and shame, and shame is then experienced instead of the origin affectsituations which might be expected to produce the emotion would instead trigger shame andrage, self-harm, or self-medication with drugs or alcohol" (Cairns, 2002, p. 63). Signs that a child may have had inadequate attachment as a child resulting in inappropriate shame response are head-banging, inability to articulate feelings, an apparent lack of emotional responses, bullying behaviour towards other children, social isolation, and/or an inability to take responsibility for his or her actions. Such traumatized children find it extremely difficult to put trust in anyone, as the child's experience with trust has resulted in a painful or traumatising outcome. Trust is shifted to what the child can control, such as an addiction to drugs to alleviate their emotional pain, or obsessive-compulsive rituals and ceremonies as a comforting behavior. Perceived Benefits of Addiction and Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour for Traumatised Children and Young People When any obsessive behaviour begins, it is to meet a need that has been unmet in the child. Although the behaviour may actually be destructive in normal terms, to the child with an attachment disorder, it provides a perceived benefit. This "benefit" from addiction can vary dramatically, and include: Emotional - Drug addition to feel self-confident; helps to cope with sadness, depression, fear, anger, shame, and guilt; helps an isolated child feel less alone; gives the child a feeling of euphoria and vitality Social - Makes the child feel like part of a group; confidence to interact with peers; way to separate from adults in their life and "do their own thing"; reduces stress and enables them to function in a group without conflict; gives the child a sense of importance Physical - The child feels physically better as the "pain" goes away; gets rid of cravings, whether for a drug or a behavior; allows the child to sleep more restfully; gives the child energy, especially when an amphetamine is the drug of choice. Other - Makes problems disappear or become less significant; gives the child a perceived focus and a feeling of being more creative. Children develop addictions to achieve a "high", which is absent from their very unhappy home life. This feeling allows them to conquer the sense of shame, guilt, and failure the child feels due to the abuse and neglect bestowed upon them by their parents. Different types of controlled substances create varying responses in the child's body. These are stimulants that give a feeling of stimulation and energy; depressants that put the child in a mellow, depressed state; and hallucinogens that create the feeling of being in an alternate universe or "out of this world". As stated, obsessive-compulsive behavior includes rituals and ceremonies. These ceremonies are performed throughout the day and are comforting and reassuring to the child under stressful conditions. These obsessive rituals and ceremonies allow the child some self-control over their world in the shape of the ritual. The compulsion to repeat such ceremonies to reduce pain or stress is overwhelming and most times uncontrollable. Examples of such obsessive behavior include, making lists; washing or bathing excessively; hoarding behavior; excessive self- stimulation, either by self-harm or sexually; thumb sucking or rocking. The behavior becomes more important than anything else in the child's daily life, and carers, teacher, etc become secondary. Give Examples of Interventions Which Enable Children to Address Issues of Addiction and Self Harm Effectively It is certainly possible that thoughtful and educated carers can enable children to address their addictions and actions of self-harm successfully. Such carers have the ability to show the child respect and regard, and in so doing gain the trust of the child who displays such behavior. This can be achieved by allowing the child to talk about the trauma experienced, feelings about the trauma, and by assisting the child to understand what his needs may be. Furthermore, it is important for a carer to provide a positive role model for the child, demonstrating good relationships and friendships that the child is then encouraged to emulate. To dissuade a child from self-harm and compulsive behavior, a carer can assist the child in developing an internal sense of control and order, and help them make sense of the world around them. To do this, the child must be provided stimulation that will satisfy their addictive or destructive behavior, and limit behavior that is considered obsessive. Some sort of relaxation for the child may be utilized as well, to reduce stress and tension. High sugar and high fat foods can be taken out of the child's diet to assist the child with a healthier diet, which in turn should provide increased well being. Additionally, the carer can give the child a helpful sentence or phrase the child can repeat when they feel stressed or feel overwhelmed. Very important as well, when the child is ready, proper psychological therapy should be implemented. This will assist the child to understand the nature of their obsession, compulsion, self-harm, and/or addiction. Group therapy may be preferred, as through group therapy the child can feel a sense of comradery and learn they are not alone in this world with their feelings and behaviors. Conclusion When a child's attachment needs have been met as an infant through the seven steps of attachment, the child develops a healthy, balanced personality that has no need for obsessive-compulsive behaviours, nor the compensatory benefits of addiction. It is only when such attachment needs are nonexistent in a child's life that such self destructive behaviours are perceived by the child as filling the void within them. For abused children that end up at a fostering agency, life has been very difficult and the child is very wary of attachment to anyone. Well-informed and empathetic carers can do much to address this issue and create a safe, caring environment for such children to end self-destructive behavior and heal emotional wounds. Once carers are fully educated in obsessive-compulsive disorders, addictions, and other self-destructive behaviors resulting from the child's dysfunctional attachment with an original caregiver, more and more children will find solace, peace, and healing in such a fostering environment. References Cairns, Karen. (2002). Attachment, Trauma and Resilience: Therapeutic Caring for Children. London: British Agencies for Adoption & Fostering. Helm, Heather M., & Simpson, Laura, & Trippany, Robyn L. (2006). Trauma Reenactment: Rethinking Borderline Personality Disorder When Diagnosing Sexual Abuse Survivors. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 28(2), 95+. Read More