How Loss Can Lead to Fear of Abandonment
Loss changes people. The loved ones in our lives are fixtures, part of the furniture of our everyday existence. They make up the social network that helps our lives flourish. When a loss occurs, it has many effects on a person’s well-being. One of the potential effects of loss is developing a fear of abandonment. Fear of abandonment can wreak its own kind of havoc. It’s helpful to know how to process loss well and handle the fears it could produce. How Loss Comes to Us Loss comes to our lives in various ways. Our world is broken. Through unforeseen circumstances, poor choices, a lack of certain skills, or life just being hard, we often find ourselves experiencing loss. All of us have, in one form or another, experienced loss, and it’s one thing among many that we share in common. There are various ways loss occurs in a person’s life, and there are different kinds of loss. You could lose a loved one in death, but that isn’t the only way loss happens. A beloved person might move away, and you lose the relationship gradually. Loss also happens when a married couple separates or divorces, or when friends have conflicts that they aren’t able to resolve. Another way that loss can occur is when someone, like a parent or caregiver, is physically present but emotionally absent in their child’s life. That emotional absence might look like not responding to the child’s needs, not providing the emotional support they need, or not giving them the mental and social stimulation they require. Lastly, loss can also occur when the parent or caregiver is largely or entirely absent from the child’s life. It might be due to a variety of circumstances such as loss of custody; they chose to walk away [...]
