Affect Regulation Theory by Daniel Hill

Author:Daniel Hill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Different Types of Relational Trauma Resulting in Different Types of Disordered Affect Regulation

The avoidant infant emerges from the early attachment relationship predisposed toward parasympathetic responses to stress. This is an energy-conserving, “minimizing” strategy that supports passive coping, social withdrawal, deactivated mentalization, and hypoaroused categorical affects, including despair, shame, and disgust. The bias toward hypoarousal and overdependence on autoregulation interfere with resilience. This results in protracted periods of hypoaroused dysregulation, a hypoaroused set point (learned temperament) and social isolation.

Recall Barbara’s hyper-aroused, hyper-activated, response to stress. The preoccupied disposition toward hyperarousal underpins an internal working model characterized by a maximizing strategy. This includes hyperengagement with the relational environment, hypervigilance, and hyperactive and compromised mentalizing. The bias toward hyperarousal interferes with resilience and results in prolonged periods of hyperaroused dysregulation and a hyperaroused set point. Overdependence on dyadic regulation and ambivalent attachment generate enmeshed and fraught relationships.

The disorganized infant emerges from the attachment relationship vulnerable to abrupt state changes and extreme hyper- or hypoarousal in response to stress. This chaotic and unregulated emotional system sustains incompatible internal working models and underlies behavioral and psychological instability.

Rather than a balanced ANS supporting response flexibility, robust affect tolerance, and resiliency, the stress response patterns of insecure attachment are rigidly hyper- or hypoaroused or an unstable mix of the two. We saw this in the Strange Situation Procedure.

When faced with the stressful arrival of a stranger or departure of his mother, Kenneth (hypoaroused) became apathetic and disengaged from the environment. He was limited to passive coping and enduring the situation. Barbara (hyperaroused) became simultaneously frightened and angry and remained tightly engaged with her mother at the expense of exploring. She was limited to active coping, in this case controlling her mother. Douglas (disorganized) displayed unexpected and confusing state shifts. He vacillated between states of hyper- and hypoarousal. He experienced extreme disengagement observed in his frozen, dazed look.

In Chapter 5 we also saw these arousal patterns manifest in the Adult Attachment Interviews of avoidant and preoccupied individuals. The impoverished mentalizing and minimal narrative of avoidant adults reflect their hypoaroused and deactivating responses to stressful memories of their attachment relationships. In contrast, the hyperactivation of mentalizing processes and elaborate but unruly narrative of preoccupied adults reflects hyperaroused, hyperactivated responses to stress.

All the insecure arousal patterns limit adaptive responses to the environment, exploration, and growth. What accounts for these different maladaptive responses to stress? Infants adapt to the socioemotional conditions of their particular caretaking niche. The emotional environment established by each type of insecurely attached caretaker is stressful in its own way. Each constitutes a subtype of relational trauma that requires a different adaptation. Each strategy is driven by a different autonomic response.

Schore understands the autonomic response to be at the core of the internal working model. It supports the physiological, experiential, cognitive, and behavioral components of the strategy. The avoidant, overregulated pattern underpins coping passively with the rejecting, barren, hypoaroused socioemotional ambiance set by the dismissive caregiver. The preoccupied, underregulated adaptation supports a strategy of active coping with inconsistent and intrusive caretaking, and a hyperaroused socioemotional ambiance.

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