Part 12/13:
Children in these situations often swing between approach and avoidance, always striving to connect but fearing rejection or harm. This perpetual cycle prevents the development of a secure attachment or a plateau of emotional closeness.
The Consequence: Internalized Negativity
This dynamic fosters the internalization of negative messages that erode self-worth. The child begins to see themselves as incapable of love or deserving of kindness, internalizing a "bad object"—a psychoanalytic concept describing internal images of unworthiness and defectiveness.