Disorganized Attachment
- “wanting closeness and fearing it at once”
- “what is disorganized attachment”
- “fearful avoidant attachment explained”
- “approach and avoid the same person”
:: COMPARE ::
DisorganizedvsSecure
The short answer
The difference isn't how much distress a child shows — it's whether they have a strategy. Secure infants have one coherent way to seek comfort. Disorganized infants have no workable strategy at all, because the two obvious ones point at the same person.
Side by side
| Aspect | Disorganized | Secure |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy | None coherent | One that works |
| On reunion | Approach and freeze | Approach and settle |
| Caregiver is | Fear and remedy | Remedy |
| Status | A classification | A classification |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Disorganized Attachment rather than Secure are usually searching for phrases like “wanting closeness and fearing it at once”, “what is disorganized attachment”, “fearful avoidant attachment explained”.
Read either one in full