Signs of Disinhibited Social Engagement in Children & What to Do

Is your child overly friendly with strangers and tends to be impulsive in decision-making? They might have disinhibited social engagement disorder. What is disinhibited social engagement disorder? We’ve prepared a detailed guide to understanding this condition in children and adults, including its symptoms and causes.

Learn about disinhibited social engagement treatment and how to behave when your child is diagnosed with it. With our guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about this disorder and what to do about it.

Disinhibited social engagement disorder is an attachment disorder. In children, it manifests as over-friendliness and ease of communication with strangers. A child with disinhibited social engagement disorder, or DSED, will feel comfortable talking to strangers. They show extreme familiarity with unfamiliar people around them.

This familiarity can be both physical and verbal. Moreover, your child won’t have a problem wandering off in an unfamiliar setting without checking with you whatsoever. Being overly friendly and constantly meeting new people results in no meaningful bonds throughout their life.

Usually, children will restrain themselves in front of unfamiliar adults. This kind of restraint is generally healthy and safe. The fear of strangers keeps children safe and protected.

However, children with DSED have no such fear and are more likely to enter a stranger’s car or house. Thus, DSED can present a huge safety problem for your child.

One significant consequence of having disinhibited social engagement disorder is the inability to form meaningful bonds with people. Adults with DSED typically show uninhibited friendliness toward new people. They’re chatty and often ask intrusive questions. They have an extreme lack of awareness of social norms and boundaries.

However, this uninhibited friendliness often makes no meaningful relationships or bonds with people around them. Disinhibited social engagement disorder develops in one’s childhood. Therefore, if left untreated, it’ll cause problems for the person later in life.

Adults with DSED often exhibit signs of hyperactivity and lack of inhibition. Contrary to public belief, this lack of shyness in a person’s life leads to few to no deeper connections with people.

Disinhibited social engagement disorder is an attachment disorder that results in uninhibited behavior and communication with new people. Even though it first appears in your childhood, it can extend to adulthood if neglected. The most common symptoms of DSED include the following:

• Overly familiar behavior – your child shows uninhibited physical and verbal behavior toward strangers.
• Lack of boundaries – your child shows no awareness of social norms and boundaries.
• Little to no checking in with parents – your child doesn’t seek permission from you to approach unfamiliar adults or wander off.
• Willingness to trust strangers – your child shows no hesitation in trusting or walking off with an unknown adult.
• No shyness – your child isn’t shy in front of new people. On the contrary, they seem excited.
• Impulsiveness – your child is impulsive in making decisions and doesn’t hesitate to walk away with a stranger.

Attachment disorders in children manifest in two ways: disinhibited social engagement disorder and reactive attachment disorder.

We’ve already mentioned that disinhibited social engagement disorder in children manifests through uninhibited friendliness (including physical and verbal behavior with strangers), impulsiveness, and willingness to trust unfamiliar adults. It results in a lack of meaningful relationships or bonds with people around them.

On the other hand, reactive attachment disorder, or RAD, manifests as fear of interactions with others, whether parents, caretakers, or strangers. Children with RAD resist affection and show low levels of trust. Moreover, they show severe detachment and anger issues.

The most significant difference between disinhibited social engagement disorder and reactive attachment disorder is that children with DSED show extreme trust and familiarity with the people around them. In contrast, children with RAD show zero trust and are usually disconnected and shy.

Disinhibited social engagement disorder develops in early childhood, continues into the teen years, and can even go into adulthood if left untreated. Since the bottom line of DSED is the inability to connect with people on a deeper level, several causes exist for DSED, including the following:

• Early childhood trauma
• Growing up in orphanages, foster care, and not having a parent or caretaker
• Neglect or abandonment by the caretaker during infancy
• Unfavorable environment in early childhood
• Suffering trauma or abuse
• Lack of love and care from a parent or caretaker

Any of these causes can be the root of your child’s disinhibited social engagement disorder. Consequently, your child won’t be able to connect with people on a deeper level and make any meaningful bonds with people around them.

Is there a treatment for disinhibited social engagement disorder? The answer is yes. As mentioned earlier, if your child’s DSED is left untreated and neglected, it’ll continue into adulthood and affect their lives in their adult years.

Even though you might think that having a friendly and communicative child with others doesn’t seem that bad, you must consider that this disorder can be dangerous for your child. If your child doesn’t fear unfamiliar adults, they’re much more likely to get into a stranger’s car or house or walk away with them. Besides the safety issue, your child won’t make any connections with people in their life.

As a parent, you should start treatment immediately. Disinhibited social engagement disorder treatment includes psychotherapy and medication to stop the disorder from persisting into adulthood. Moreover, the treatment should begin as soon as possible to ensure your child doesn’t suffer the consequences of this attachment disorder.

Children of different ages can undergo treatment for disinhibited social engagement disorder. However, psychotherapy should adapt to your child’s age. Numerous types of therapy proved successful for DSED.

Play therapy is perfect for younger children as it allows them to play games and feel safe in a controlled environment. Such treatment should include a child’s parents or caregivers, as it will enable the child to relax and connect with them.

Art therapy is also ideal for your child to bond with you through different creative tools. Talk therapy suits older children, who may not think games and art are interesting.

Overall, it’s essential to be there for your child during therapy to strengthen the bond between you.

Behavioral therapy is perfect for adults with disinhibited social engagement disorder. Numerous types of behavioral management therapy can help solve different mental and behavioral problems.

Behavioral management focuses on people learning behaviors from their environment. Such therapy helps adults with DSED learn about social behavior and trusting people. Couples therapy is also highly successful in treating DSED.

There’s no specialized medication for disinhibited social engagement disorder. However, your child’s DSED can have various symptoms for which direct meds exist. Thus, your doctor can prescribe meds for different DSED symptoms, such as hyperactivity, mood disorder, anxiety, etc.

However, even though such medication can seemingly solve your child’s problem and you can see the difference in behavior, you shouldn’t take it lightly. Direct meds for disinhibited social engagement disorder don’t exist, so don’t disregard therapy.

If your child was diagnosed with disinhibited social engagement disorder, don’t worry. As you’ve already read, there are different treatment methods available. However, treatment isn’t the only thing your child needs for DSED. Thus, here are several tips for you to help your child with DSED.

The most important thing to remember is to have patience. Disinhibited social engagement disorder develops due to trauma or neglect, so treating it can be difficult. Moreover, every child is different, so don’t compare your child to others.

Your child might need more time in therapy than others to show improvement. There could also be some drawbacks. Overall, being patient with your child and trusting the treatment process is crucial for both of you.

One of the reasons for developing disinhibited social engagement disorder is growing up in an unstable environment. That could be constantly changing foster care or moving houses.

Thus, creating routines for your child will help you develop a sense of security and consistency. Your child will know what to expect daily by creating and sticking to healthy habits. That can significantly decrease their anxiety and help build trust in caretakers.

One of the most significant steps you can take for your child with disinhibited social engagement disorder is to make an environment where they feel cared for and safe. One of the causes of DSED is neglect and lack of love and care.

Thus, by creating a healthy environment, showing love, and caring for your child, you’ll significantly impact their DSED treatment and overall well-being. Therefore, be there for your child whenever they need you, care for them, and create a safe space where they can build trust in you.

We emphasize therapy again. Therapy is the best treatment for disinhibited social engagement disorder in children and adults. There are different types of therapy; some might suit your child, some might not.

Moreover, children of different ages need different types of therapies, and professionals should conduct therapy according to your child’s age. Therefore, get therapy treatment for your child with DSED based on their needs and age.

Disinhibited social engagement disorder is an attachment disorder that children develop in their early childhood. Numerous factors, such as neglect, trauma, and unstable environment, can cause it. Children with DSED tend to be chatty, overly familiar with strangers, impulsive, and without fear of unfamiliar adults.

You can treat disinhibited social engagement disorder in several ways, including different types of therapy, behavioral management, and medication. However, the most significant part is your involvement as a parent. Be patient, create healthy routines, and help your child feel cared for and safe.