Attachment in Middle or Late Adulthood

Attachment in Middle/Late Adulthood

Attachment in late adulthood is reciprocated from attachment of an adolescent. The essence of late adulthood attachment focuses on life after retirement. This is a time when people become "empty nesters" and also has an increased chance of divorce from spouses of over 20 years. This is due to children being the focus of the couple's marriage, and once the children move out or go to college the married couple is forced to spend more time alone together. Their attachment is no longer with each other but with the children and the children is no longer there to depend on.

Young and middle aged adults are the ones who take care of and provide for senior adults and youth, once the middle aged adults reach late adulthood they go through a time called a mid life crisis. This happens when people hit retirement from their careers. Retirement signifies the end of their productive role in society, and severing ties with colleagues and work associates. This is when a life of isolation starts to set in which is very difficult on most people. This also leads people to have a mid life crisis in which they go out and spend a lot of money on a car, get a tattoo, and date people who are 20 years younger than they are so that they feel like they still connect with society in some way. It is their statement of saying I'm retired but I'm still cool. Many people who have just retired get bored of continuously sitting around the house and get a part time job to feel more connected with society especially if they cannot afford to fully retire.

Society's affect on adult attachment styles on an individual going through mid to late adulthood are grouped into four categories: secure/autonomous style, the dismissing/avoidant style, the preoccupied style, and the unclassifiable/ disorganized style. Adults who carry out the secure/autonomous attachment style are able to understand the connection between the past and present more clearly. These people deeply value the attachment they have with their spouses and children and work hard to maintain it. They have a coherent state of mind and most likely have securely attached children as well. They are sensitive and responsible parents who do not let their emotional baggage get in the way of their relationships. Dismissing adults are people who are unable or unwilling to deal with any prior attachment experiences. They deal with relationships in an incoherent way. They typically have children who have avoidant attachment patterns. Preoccupied adults are overly focused on family problems and carry a lot of emotional baggage, which gets in the way of obtaining securely attached relationships. They are still emotionally enthralled in past-unresolved issues. Preoccupied parents generally have ambivalently attached children since their own issues cause them to be inconsistent. Unresolved