Daddy Issues: What They Are & How To Cope

While it’s not a term generally used by mental health professionals, ‘daddy issues’ often come up when talking about a woman’s attitude to men. You’ll hear people use the phrase to describe how a woman’s attachment to her father affects her self-image and her relationships with other men. Unfortunately, it’s often thrown around too casually or even used to denigrate a woman without showing any sympathy or understanding of the complex issue of parent-child attachment.

To get a better insight into what’s usually called ‘daddy issues’, it’s important to understand what behavioral patterns people label this way and how to recognize them in yourself and others. Then, you can learn how to overcome them with the help of a relationship coach.

What Does It Mean To Have Daddy Issues?

People generally use the phrase ‘daddy issues’ to talk about a woman who has an unhealthy relationship to father figures in her life. It implies that she has trouble establishing healthy, secure connections with men because of her dysfunctional bond to her father. While the term isn’t typically used by professionals, it has a lot to do with the concept of attachment styles, which psychologists use to explain a person’s early connection to their parents and its effects on their adult lives.

For example, your father may have been distant, not providing the necessary emotional support and nurturing, or he may have been absent altogether. This could create an anxious attachment style, where the person is insecure and fears abandonment. You may then seek the affection of a father-type figure who will protect you like a parent would. Alternatively, you may have grown up idealizing your father because you were his favorite, so you unconsciously replicate a kind of father-daughter dynamic in your romantic relationships.

How Do I Know If I Have Daddy Issues?

Someone who could be considered to have ‘daddy issues’ may exhibit certain behavioral patterns, such as:

• You fall in love with much older men: If you didn’t have a loving, trustworthy father figure growing up, you may feel like older men provide the protection and security you crave. You may prefer them to younger men because of their experience, financial success, and stable lifestyle.
• You’re a people pleaser: People with childhood wounds often struggle with deep-seated insecurity. As children, they didn’t establish a strong connection with one of their parents, so they’re anxious about affection being withheld from them. This is why they may tend to be more agreeable and pliable, doing everything they can do to keep their partner by their side.
• You’re overly needy in relationships: You may be scared of being ignored or abandoned because that’s the kind of experience you’ve had with your father. These feelings could make you jealous, possessive, and clingy in your romantic relationships. For example, you may constantly check on your partner and suspect them of cheating even though there’s no reason for it.
• You need constant reminders that you’re loved: Seeking reassurance is another sign that you developed anxious attachment in your childhood. No matter how much affection you receive, it doesn’t seem to be enough. For example, no matter how hard your partner tries, you may feel like they don’t give you enough compliments, spend enough time with you, or tell you they love you often enough.
• You’re stuck in a pattern of abusive relationships: People are generally attracted to what they know. If your father was abusive to you or your mother while you were growing up, you may gravitate toward similarly abusive men. Because you didn’t get the chance to mend your dysfunctional relationship with your dad, you may be desperately trying to change your partner. Predatory men often seek out women with ‘daddy issues’ on purpose because they consider them easy prey.
• You use sex as currency: Because your unhealthy relationship with your father left you with little confidence, you may be intensely scared of your partner leaving. Some people in this situation feel like they need to use sex to keep their partner interested. 
• You can’t be single: If your father abandoned you as a child, being alone may give you anxiety. You may enter relationships with incompatible partners, just so you’re with someone. 

Do Some Men Have Daddy Issues?

Although it’s not usually talked about, the absence of a loving and supportive father figure during childhood can affect men just as much as it affects women. Whether the father was out of the picture, abusive, or too controlling, dysfunctional father-son relationships leave a mark. 

Here’s how a man with ‘daddy issues’ may act:

• He has pent-up anger. A man who was abandoned or neglected by his father may have a lot of hidden anger that emerges in seemingly benign situations, like a petty disagreement with his partner.
• He has commitment issues: He may be reluctant to take further steps in a relationship because he hasn’t had a positive example of a man taking responsibility. 
• He has difficulty expressing his emotions: If he’s uncomfortable sharing his feelings and opening up, it may be due to his unresolved problems with his father. 
• He can’t bond with other men: He may distrust other men, especially older, father-like figures or those who are in a position of authority.

How To Heal Your Daddy Issues?

Childhood trauma may reverberate throughout your life if you don’t address it. Here’s what you can do to overcome your ‘daddy issues’:

• Acknowledge the problem: Start by recognizing the problem and how it plays out in your relationships. Once you’re aware of your unhealthy patterns, you can start working on getting over them. 
• Stop blaming yourself: ‘Daddy issues’ is often used as a disparaging term to belittle a woman. People often use it lightly and even jokingly. However, the truth is these women deserve understanding and empathy. They were failed by their fathers and their struggles are not their own fault. 
• Move past it: It’s perfectly normal to grieve over not having an adequate father figure in your life. It’s all part of the process of letting go and adopting healthier behavioral patterns. This is something that you can accomplish by working with a reliable relationship coach.

Where Do I Sign Up For Helpful Private Couple Retreats For Reconnection?

Your relationship with your parents defines your life in a major way. If it’s had a negative impact, you can turn things around by signing up for one of our eye-opening individual coaching programs. If you’re experiencing problems in your relationship because of your or your partner’s childhood trauma, our helpful retreat for couples is an excellent option. 

We address a wide range of issues, so we’re the right choice if you want to recover from your dysfunctional relationship with your mother, stop toxic competition with your partner, learn how to listen more effectively, or break unhealthy patterns of love addiction. Let’s make the first step together!