Adopted Adults and Relationships – How Are They Affected?

Particularly if you experienced childhood trauma or bounced around in foster care, forming emotional bonds can be a challenge that lasts into adulthood. When a person’s early childhood experiences were defined by impermanence, they may struggle with adoption abandonment issues. Relationships can be challenging for some adult adoptees who fear rejection, struggle with their self-esteem, or who spent part of their childhood without a role model for a healthy relationship.
Adoptee Emotional Difficulties, and How they Could Affect Relationships
Some adoption-related emotional difficulties that you may experience as an adult adoptee can also lead to adopted adults’ relationship issues. Although there is currently little to no evidence or research that supports the theory that adult adoptees struggle in their relationships, anecdotes persist. Some adoptees suggest that these adopted adults’ relationship issues struggles may stem from:- Fear of rejection, which can manifest as the desire to reject a person before they have the opportunity to reject you.
- Low self-esteem, which can manifest as not feeling worthy of love or in choosing partners who treat you poorly because you don’t feel you deserve better.
- Fear of abandonment, which can make you feel paranoid that your partner will leave you.
- Fear of change, which can make you want to stay in unhealthy relationships longer or compel you to avoid new relationships or growth within a relationship.