What Are Abandonment Issues?
Abandonment issues are a type of anxiety characterized by a fear or phobia of isolation and loneliness. People with this mental health condition have an irrational fear that their partner, friend, or loved one will leave them behind at the slightest inconvenience.
Note that abandonment issues are not a diagnosis but rather an informal nomenclature for fear of losing a loved one. It has long-lasting and sometimes lifetime effects on how people form their relationships and treat their romantic partners.
Types of Abandonment Issues:
1. Avoidant Attachment Style:
People with this attachment style find it hard to trust others and form relationships. They avoid getting close to people even if they like them and prefer keeping their emotions withdrawn and their approach distant. They operate on the defensive and think that people will leave them at the first chance they get, so they don’t allow themselves to feel for them.
2. Disorganized Attachment Style:
This attachment style is often a side effect of bipolar disorder, as the person with this attachment style exhibits inconsistent behavior. They find it challenging to form intimate relations, yet they are afraid of being alone. They are anxious while in a relationship and restless when they are single.
3. Anxious Attachment Style:
This attachment style is an extreme case of dependency that makes an individual act intensely at the first hint of a breakup. They try to merge their lives with their partners or loved ones in every way possible and are invasive in their approach. They can resort to emotional manipulation to make someone stay with them and are prone to mental breakdowns.
What Causes Abandonment Issues?
Childhood is an important developmental phase of an individual’s life as it shapes our personality and designs our moral character for a lifetime. Habits and behaviors learned in childhood are not easy to shake off, which is why most of our mental health issues have roots in our childhood.
The following are the key contributors to making an individual develop abandonment issues:
- Neglectful parenting
- Absent parent
- Losing a parent at an early age
- Single parent with multiple partners
- Physical & emotional abuse
- Death of an important figure in life
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help with abandonment issues and is a highly recommended treatment for people with abandonment issues, anxiety, and other behavioral disorders.
You can learn more about abandonment issues from the dynamic autobiography of Joleen & Justin, “Chasing the Dark.” They review the complications of teenage pregnancy and the pain of raising children as a single mother at length to paint an honest picture of the dilemma for their audience.
Get your copy now!
Bottom Line:
As with any mental health condition, self-awareness can help you figure out your emotional needs and the many challenges that are stopping you from living your best life. Connect with a credible therapist or talk with someone who understands you to get the help you need.
