Intimate relationships - Essay Example

Attachment styles There are four attachment styles existing in relationships. The attachment styles include secure, preoccupied, dismissing, and fearful avoidant. Whereas the secure attachment forms when the caregivers are available regularly and very responsive, the preoccupied attachment comes into play when the caregivers become overly protective. On the other hand, the thin stretching of the caregivers it leads to the development of the dismissing attachment. Lastly, one identifies with the fearful avoidant style if he exhibits both dismissing and anxious tendencies (Miller 3).

In the secure attachment, one achieves a sense of self-worth and develops a belief that others are responsive settled with the existing autonomy and in the formation of close relationships with other people. On the other hand, the preoccupied attachment instills in one a dependent sense of self-worth critical in achieving the acceptance and approval of others. In addition, the dismissing style leads to the development of self-views that are overt and the denial of feeling having a subjective distress dismissing the advantage of having close relationships.

Lastly, the fearful style cultivates a negative view of the self and lack of trust in other people on top of high levels of distress and apprehension (5). The different styles come into play due to varied parenting styles. For instance, secure attachment is a product of consistent meeting of the needs of a child by a caregiver. The inconsistent meeting of a child’s needs gives rise to the preoccupied attachment. In addition, the dismissing and avoidant styles result from the inability of the caregiver to meet the requirements of the infants.

Lastly, the four styles have an inspiration from two broad categories that accurately define them, and they include children and adults (6). Works citedMiller, Rowland S. Intimate Relationships. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.