RAD ~ Reactive Attachment Disorder

RAD is when a child to unable to attach to a primary caregiver & go through the normal development that children go through in order to function in a relationship. Many children experience the loss of primary caregivers because they are  separated from them or because the caregiver is incapable of providing adequate care. This may also happen is the baby has spent a lot of time in ICU or has illnesses when very young... Its is often seen more in adopted or fostered children   This disorder has been misdiagnosed as Bi-Polar Disorder or ADD in 40 to 70 percent of  cases. Often there can be co-existing diagnoses of PTSD, ODD, Bipolar, other mood disorders, or ADD/ADHD. This condition can be triggered by many things including abuse, neglect, abandonment, separation from birth parents, birth trauma, maternal depression, chronic illness, frequent moves & placements & even divorce.

Kids suffering from RAD will not let anyone have ANY control over their lives. They will manipulate their environment & all the people in their environment. They become totally dependent upon themselves & will ignore the needs of others. They will steal, damage & destroy anything that they sense takes their control. They do not trust people in authority. If this is Left untreated they can become sociopaths without conscience & without concern for anyone but themselves. You can Watch the movie "Good Will Hunting"  to see what RAD can look like in an adult.

You can  have two extremes…

• The "in your face" child with very destructive behavior (Anxious)

• The child who has hidden anger deep inside, a lot easier to live with, but harder to treat (Differential)

Needing to control their environment, the RAD child will quickly target Mum as the one who has to be broken. This is because Mum is the one who deals out the discipline daily. It can also be because "Mum" was the one who they feel let them down in the past & they target the mother in a sense of payback. Dad will be charmed into believing that this child is innocent of all accusations.  The child will portray a "Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde," disassociation between the family and the father in order to control & split-up the family.

Children with RAD don’t have close friends, but they do have children with whom they spend time. They also have a polite public face with the worst behaviours often limited to the home. RAD children do not grow out of their disorder though some treatment will lessen the severity of their disorder. If not treated, they will grow to become sad, angry, dysfunctional adults. The child without empathy or remorse has RAD. The adult who has not learned empathy or remorse is known as a sociopath. In some cases, they can be very dangerous.

• Birth trauma
• Unwanted pregnancy
• Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse during the first 3 years of life
• Physical or emotional neglect
• Separation from birth mother early in life
• Chaotic family situation
• Harsh and inconsistent parenting
• Overindulgent parenting
• Multiple changes in living location
• Inadequate day care; multiple care givers
• Frequent moves or placements in the foster care system; failed adoptions
• Traumatic experiences
• Undiagnosed painful illness; unresolved, ongoing pain
• Maternal alcohol or drug use/ and in utero
• Maternal depression
• A lack of attunement between the mother and child
• Young or inexperienced mother with poor parenting skills
•  

Insecure attachments influence the developing brain, which in turn affects future interactions with others, self-esteem, self-control & the ability to learn & to achieve optimum mental & physical health. Symptoms can include the following:

• Low self-esteem
• Needy, clingy or pseudo-independent behavior
  
• Inability to deal with stress and adversity
• Lack of self-control
• Inability to develop and maintain friendships
• Alienation from & opposition to parents, caregivers, and other authority figures
• Anti-social attitudes and behaviors
  
• Aggression and violence
• Difficulty with genuine trust, intimacy, and affection
• Negative, hopeless, pessimistic view of self, family and society
• Lack of empathy, compassion and remorse
• Behavioral & academic problems at school
• Speech & language problems
• Incessant chatter & questions
• Difficulty learning
• Depression
• Apathy
• Susceptibility to chronic illness
• Obsession with food: hordes, gorges, refuses to eat, eats strange things, hides food
• Repetition of cycle of maltreatment & attachment disorder in their own children when they reach adulthood.

Information received in part from the following books:

• 'Facilitating Developmental Attachment' - by Daniel A. Hughes
• 'When Love is Not Enough' - by Nancy L. Thomas
• 'Handbook for Treatment of Attachment' - by Beverly James

• RAD - Symptoms & Causes
• General Information on RAD
  
• More info
• Information sheets
• Time to understand