DETACHMENT IN RELATIONSHIPS
How does detachment seep into relationships?The origins of attachment theory came from Bowlby’s observations that both human and primate infants go through a clear sequence of reactions when separated from their primary caregivers. Bowlby observed three stages of this separation anxiety.
When their caregiver is first out of sight, infants will cry, resist soothing by other people, and search for their caregiver. This stage is the protest stage. As separation continues, infants become quiet, sad, passive, listless, and apathetic. This second stage is called despair. The last stage—the only one unique to humans—is detachment.
An assumption of attachment theory is that a bonding relationship (or lack thereof ) becomes internalized and serves as a mental working model on which future friendships and love relationships are built. The first bonding attachment is therefore the most critical of all relationships
Psychodynamic theory suggests that all repressed feelings and reactions to the rupture of significant relationships lie at the root of emotional suffering