Continuing bonds or ongoing attachments? Exploring the distinction.

Abstract

This article examines how attachment and bonds, while addressing the same phenomenon, rest on fundamentally different assumptions. We highlight two key distinctions between attachment theory and the continuing bonds model of grief, which are often conflated in their approaches to ongoing relationships with the deceased. Attachment theory frames continuing bonds as compensatory adaptations necessitated by the impossibility of reunion, emphasizing individual adaptation within an intrapsychic framework that often overlooks cultural and social contexts. In contrast, the continuing bonds model views these connections as evolving extensions of preexisting relationships, situating grief within intersubjective, relational, and cultural dimensions. By exploring these differences, we advocate for a nuanced understanding of grief that integrates autonomy and interdependence, honoring the enduring connections that shape our shared humanity.