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Creating the Capacity for Attachment: Treating Addictions and the Alienated Self

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Walant undertakes one major revision of the Freudian position on infantile narcissism: the alienated personality turning to drugs (esp alcohol) didn't have a period of primary omnipotence, but rather was deprived of infantile satisfactions, so that adult narcissism is a defense of the masked self. Anyone who looks candidly at infants knows they are tiny and helpless, and need moments of success to feel empowered at all; these moments are what primary narcissism is really about. In order to address the needs of these alienated addicts who have found what AA calls their "Higher Power" in alcohol, Walant has developed a form of involved analysis in which the therapist engages in a form (albeit therapeutically protected) of love for the patient. Such patients have been deprived of what Jung called "oceanic," 'immersive,' or 'fusion' experiences. The well-developed personality needs to strike a balance between autonomy, already present to some extent even before birth, and fusion, which isn't merely ego-regression; addicts have been fusion-deprived and seek it in substance abuse. This is a healthy corrective to a more orthodox Freudian position that over-emphasizes the eventual complete independence of the patient and the detachment of the analytic observer, typical of the 'age of analysis' in which Freud lived. There are interesting passages on drug selection as reflecting the user's particular problems. My critical comments are two: 1) the book could have been more tightly written, since it has such a particular, interesting, and well considered axe to grind. 2) Walant rightly focuses on the mystical tradition as a source of 'oceanic' thinking, but mentions neither the great relevant mystics (like Meister Eckhart) nor the body of 20th century philosophy, particularly Husserl and Scheler ("The Essence of Sympathy") that could have given her a stronger theoretical foundation. Since no one can read everything, the latter shortcoming is certainly forgivable, but I hope she takes note of Husserl and Scheler in her forthcoming writings--Jonathan Ketchum, PhD (Philosophy)

This ground-breaking book should be read by every parent, every therapist who works with addicts, every professional who works with families and every policy-maker who makes decisions that involve the nurturing of infants and children. Dr.Walant coined the term "normative abuse" to describe some of the child-rearing practices of mainstream America. "Normative" because they are the norm, accepted by "experts" as well as by the average parent, and "abuse" because these practices are damaging to the child's developing self. Dr. Walant shows how the American over-emphasis on "independence" results in the neglect of connectedness and security needs, making children vulnerable to addictive behavior and personality disorders later in life. She points out: "These disorders, which are so pervasive in our current world, illustrate that beneath the veneer of self-reliance lies the core of powerlessness, alienation, and detachment." In other words, we can only make children ACT self-sufficient, we cannot produce confidence and a healthy self-reliance through neglect of their dependency/attachment needs. Since this neglect of security/connection needs is perpetrated by the vast majority of well-meaning parents in America, we should not be surprised that everywhere we look we see prisoners to the addictions of food, TV, cigarettes, sex, work, relationships, gambling and/or thrills, not to mention drugs and alcohol.
Dr. Walant states that "Normative abuse occurs when parental instinct and empathy are replaced by cultural norms." So we must promote a healthy INTER-dependence by not only allowing but encouraging an empathic, responsive parenting style, beginning in infancy. Children whose attachment/dependency needs are met by consistently responsive parents are given a solid foundation from which healthy exploration and growth can be launched. Their parents are their "secure base" and they have no need for "security blankets" or other "comforting" objects. (Many other professionals also see a correlation between lack of empathic care in the first 3 years of life and problems in adolescence and adulthood, such as addictions, delinquency, sexual disturbances and consumerism. Among these are psychiatrists/child advocates Elliott Barker and John Leopold Weil.)
Dr. Walant departs from the traditional psychoanalytic approach that requires an attitude of detachment or aloofness towards the client, as this attitude impedes the healing of those who were not allowed to form a safe and secure attachment to at least one parent in childhood. Dr. Walant uses case studies and excerpts from clients' diaries to show how allowing her clients to form their first secure attachment to her has profound therapeutic benefits as they experience the security and connectedness they did not have in their infancy and childhood. One of the ways in which she facilitates this healthy attachment is by being available to her clients outside of therapy sessions. They seldom call her, but knowing they can makes a huge difference in their recovery. Another way win which she allows secure attachments to form is by providing "immersive moments" in therapy, in which clients feel completely understood, connected and loved. Clients know their feelings will not be discounted or dismissed, and that they are no longer alone. With their new-found ability to turn to people instead of things for good feelings, most of them are able to give up their addictions, finding them a poor substitute for the joys of intimacy, trust, connectedness, love and support. One client, upon experiencing an immersive moment with Dr. Walant, said that the only other time he had felt so "euphorically high" was when he was on cocaine. Because this book has so many implications for the way we do therapy and for the way we treat babies and children, I consider it "must" reading for parents and professionals. Maureen E. McCarthy, Parenting Coach

With "Creating the Capacity for Attachement: Treating Addictions and the Alienated Self", Karen Walant has authored a volume of enormous importance to all practicing psychotherapists. Combining warmth with brilliant scholarship, Dr. Walant persuasively argues that the phenomenon of normative abuse during childhood (leading to attachment disorders) correlates significantly with addictive behavior later in life. Her use of case studies interspersed throughout the volume brings to life her theories regarding the need for the therapist and client to restore the client's lost capacity for attachement. Walant's book has enabled me to look at my work as a cognitive-behavior therapist from a complimentary paradigm that will enrich my therapeutic practice. This volume has relevance to clinicians from all schools of theory and practice, including humanistic, existential, psychodynamic, and cognitive perspectives. Highly recommended.

I first read "Creating the Capaity for Attachment: Addiction and the Vulnerable Self" four years ago and I have re-read it and recommended it many times as one of my most essential practice guides. I have been a practicing psychotherapist for many years and as I read "Creating the Capacity.." I felt myself immersed in a new description of so many of the cultural and personal conflicts I have struggled with as both a mother of four and an addiction specialist. Instead of a focus on the 'diseased' individual, Dr. Walant brilliantly describes the core insecure attachment of children to their primary caregivers that leads to various addictions and compulsive disorders in both individual and macro terms. Our culture's insistence on stong willed indepedence (instead of the heathy emotional and social interdependence we all need) is analyzed in terms of both early childhood experiences we might all describe as 'neglectful' or abusive' but also in terms of the "Normative abuse" (Dr. Walant's term) that pervades nearly every layer of our childrearing practices.
Although I believe there have been vast improvements in our culture since the advent of developmental psychology and attachment theory, parents (and particularly mothers) are routinely discouraged from extensive physical connection with children, breatfeeding into toddlerhood and warm and comforting responses to emotional upheavals. Dr. Walant senstively describes how even extremely caring parents can be tricked by our culture into going against their infants and children's most intese needs, needs that in many instances may never be satiated later in life, if neglected in childhood. I am so glad that since our oldest daughter (now 23 years old) was born, breastfeeding and skin to skin physical bonding in early infancy as well as "attached" and responsive parenting are now proven through neuropsychological research to help develop the human brain. I was lucky to have social support to follow my gut instincts when my children were small- Dr. Walant argues that familes desperately need this social support as do children- to be securely attached and 'securely' independent as adults.

Dr. Walant also decribes an immersion style of psychotherapy that maintains proper professionalism, but allows clients to be attached and immersed in a healing, true relationship with the therapist. She describes very accurately (yet sensitively) how the traditional 'detached' stance of the analyst replicates the insecure attachment of the client in early relationships. She then explains the exact manner in which a deep understanding of these clients' need to be attached to the therapist and guided towards secure attachmentments outside the therapy relationship form teh basis for healing.
Before reading Dr. Walant's work I had not been able to articulate the manner in which this "immersion" is reparitive to the clients I work with. Her well researched and grounded theory helped me to articulate to clients the most central issues in their healing journey. I have recommeneded this book to clients as well, and most relate very strongly to the description of both the suffering related to teh insecure attachment and the journey towards wholeness that Dr. Walant describes.
I urge any students in the healing arts, and all seeking a more effective means to reach addicted clients to read this book.