7 Core Issues in Adoption

According to the Center for Adoption Support and Education, which provides post-adoption services to families and individuals in the greater Washington D.C. area, there are seven core issues that arise in adoptees:

LOSS: The adoptee fears ultimate abandonment, and feels a loss of biological, genetic, and cultural history. They display issues of "holding on and letting go".
REJECTION: The adoptee views their biological parents' placing them for adoption as a personal rejection. This brings to light issues of self-esteem, rejection-anticipation, and the misperception of situations that involve rejection/acceptance.

GUILT/SHAME: The adoptee feels that they deserve any misfortune that may befall them. They feel ashamed of being different, whether biologically, ethnically/racially, or otherwise, and this often results in them taking a defensive, angry stance.
GRIEF: Grief that was overlooked in childhood or was blocked by the adult adoptee often results in the adoptee becoming depressed and acting out. One type of grief that surfaces often is that of a "lack of fit" in the adoptive family.

IDENTITY: The integration of an adoptee's identity may be hindered by a lack of information about their birth parents, place of birth, the circumstances around their adoption, etc. This is seen to manifest in early pregnancy and/or extreme behaviors that indicate a desire to feel a sense of belonging.
INTIMACY & RELATIONSHIPS: Adoptees often fear developing close bonds with others, as it puts them at risk for repeating their earlier losses (the loss of birth parents). These bonding issues can lead to a decreased capacity for intimacy. Adult adoptees are also often fearful of committing incest with an unrecognized biological relative.

CONTROL/GAINS: Because adoptees were not part of the initial adoption process and the decisions that were made, and the adoption has seemingly altered their life, they feel that they are suffering from a lack of control in their own lives.


Almost all of these factors, aside from Intimacy/Relationships, could manifest in substance abuse/use.