When Attachment Becomes a Disorder: Can Personality Disorders Be Fixed? | Adam Lane Smith

Apr 18, 2025

This engaging discussion dives into the connection between attachment styles and personality disorders. It unpacks how childhood trauma influences emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships. Offering a fresh perspective, the hosts critique the traditional medical model and explore unconventional healing methods. The conversation highlights the dangers of overmedication and promotes community support as a pathway to recovery. A compelling metaphor about love and risk illustrates the complexities of attachment and provides listeners with practical insights for fostering secure connections.

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INSIGHT

Types of Avoidant Attachment

Ethical avoidant individuals avoid others due to learned distrust, not malevolence.
Manipulative avoidants use tactics out of self-protection but are not full personality disorders yet.

INSIGHT

Root of Borderline Personality

Borderline personality disorder stems from severe childhood trauma and mixed anxious-avoidant attachment.
It involves constant fight, fawn, or flee responses to maintain control over relationships.

INSIGHT

Biology of Bipolar Episodes

Bipolar episodes stem from brain inflammation and stress escalation, not just chemical imbalance.
Mania is a survival response to shut down judgment and seek relief via dopamine flooding.

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In this episode, Andrey and Adam unpack the deep connection between attachment styles and personality disorders. Together, they explore how childhood trauma, neurological stress, and emotional dysregulation contribute to avoidant, anxious, and disorganized attachment—and how these patterns can evolve into more severe conditions like borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and even schizophrenia. Adam challenges the medical model, offering hopeful insights on healing, brain health, and the possibility of recovery without relying solely on medication.

✨ Topics Covered ✨
👉 The difference between attachment styles and personality disorders
👉 How avoidant behaviors can be self-protective—or damaging
👉 The impact of early childhood trauma on long-term attachment
👉 Why the medical model often mislabels people as “broken”
👉 How avoidant attachment differs from avoidant personality disorder
👉 The trauma roots of borderline personality disorder (BPD)
👉 The connection between high-performance households and emotional suppression
👉 What’s really happening in the brain during bipolar disorder
👉 The dangers of overmedication and brain inflammation
👉 Why even schizophrenia can be helped through functional systems
👉 Finland’s powerful approach to treating schizophrenia without meds
👉 How social bonding and oxytocin lead to brain healing
👉 Why chronic stress blocks your potential—and how attachment healing unlocks it
👉 A powerful metaphor about “loving a crocodile” and staying in unsafe emotional patterns

Healing from childhood trauma—especially when it starts as early as age 6—takes courage, patience, and truth. If this conversation helped you feel seen or understood, consider sharing it with someone who’s walking a similar path. You’re not alone—and there’s real hope for healing and freedom.

Stay tuned for more expert insights and relationship advice in future episodes!
If you enjoyed this episode, you will probably love our episode titled ‘Attachment Specialist Fixes an Avoidant Woman’ https://youtu.be/zSaZrRedRUc

Need more help with your attachment? Work with Adam: www.adamlanesmith.com

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Follow Adam Lane Smith:
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Website: https://adamlanesmith.com/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attachmentadam/
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The next episode drops Thursday :)
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