Rethinking Communication guide to advanced dementia

31 childhood because this is where the attachment process begins: during our infancy and early childhood. However, the attachment process does not stop once we have grown up. The experience of those early bonds shapes how we relate to others throughout our lifetime. We forge close and enduring relationships across our whole lifespan and the attachment process, which began in infancy, will play a role throughout life. Understanding attachment helps us to better understand love. Research over the last 50 years has discovered that there are some key attachment ‘styles’. The styles reflect which aspects of relationships feel safe for a person and which aspects are threatening. These styles have a big impact on how we deal with emotions, especially moments that involve anxiety and other difficult feelings. For example, when we are lonely, do we withdraw or do we get active? When we are anxious, do we reach out for help to others or do we feel we have to cope alone? When we are angry, do we end up lashing out or