Children and Teens With Separation Anxiety Disorder

Children and adolescents who suffer from separation anxiety disorder worry excessively about being away from their caregivers, parents or other important people in their lives. They might also worry about a possible negative outcome of separation, like getting lost or being injured.

Children with separation anxiety disorder can be treated with psychotherapy and medication. Therapy focuses on teaching children to manage fearful situations gradually by providing reassurance and encouragement.

Signs and symptoms

Separation anxiety disorder is more severe than normal anxiety in the event of being separated from family and primary caregivers. People suffering from this condition are worried that something terrible could happen to their family member when they are separated, for example, getting lost or becoming ill. They might also be scared of other circumstances that could separate them from their loved ones, for example, being kidnapped or getting into a an accident with a car.

This anxiety disorder can affect people at any age. It's not known what causes separation anxiety in adults, but it can be caused by major life changes or previous mental health disorders, like depression or PTSD. People suffering from this disorder may feel a lot dependent on their children or their romantic partners, and lack boundaries. Others may see them as overly demanding and clingy.

This condition is characterized by extreme anxiety when a person is separated from family, significant distress when away from home or at work, and frequent dreams of separation. These symptoms can cause people avoid travel or other activities that involve a physical separation from family members, such as going back to school. Children with this condition may experience physical problems like stomach pains when they worry about being alone.

A healthcare professional will inquire with you about your previous and current symptoms, or the symptoms of your child to determine if you suffer from separation anxiety. They will ask you about your family, and other relationships, to determine how you've faced separation anxiety in the past.

Talk therapy and, in some instances, medication are utilized to treat this condition. Your therapist will instruct you and your children how to cope with the fears. They can assist you and your child to understand how to handle separations through a step by procedure. The use of medication can help calm the brain and relax the body which can help ease the anxiety of your child.

Diagnosis

Separation do anxiety disorders ever go away disorder can cause a person to feel extreme stress when they are away from their home or close family members. Unlike normal fear and worry that most people feel these symptoms disorder are persistent, often lasting longer than four weeks in children and six months or longer in adults, and they can cause significant disruption to daily activities and performance at school and work. The condition can also cause problems with a person's ability form romantic relationships and socialize.

A mental health professional will interview and examine the patient's behavior to diagnose this disorder. The healthcare provider will want determine when the symptoms began and what triggers them to be more or less severe. Depending on the person's age, a mental health professional might also inquire about recent events that may be causing stress, as well as any previous trauma history.

The doctor will also attempt to determine whether the fear is due to another medical condition that can cause similar symptoms, like an illness, such as cancer or a neurological disorder, such as multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy. Other causes include family problems like mental illness in the family, substance abuse, domestic violence and neglect and abuse of children.

It is a challenge to identify separation anxiety disorder among adults, since there aren't any lab tests and the symptoms can be similar to the symptoms of other anxiety disorders. Separation anxiety disorder is more common among adults who have suffered trauma or a significant loss. There are studies that suggest that those who were diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder in their childhood are more likely to be suffering from depression and anxiety disorders in adulthood.

Separation anxiety disorder can be treated in many ways. Treatment like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and antidepressants, can help people overcome the phobia. People suffering from this disorder usually benefit from parental education and techniques to improve their relationship with their children.

Treatment

Separation anxiety disorder is diagnosed when the child's fear of being around strangers and clinginess continues throughout elementary school, and is accompanied with physical symptoms and impedes everyday functioning. According to BetterHelp, an online therapy service for children the disorder of separation anxiety can affect up to 4% of children and has a median age of 7 years old.

Your child's doctor will conduct a thorough examination to rule out physical problems that could cause anxiety. If no physical issues are found, the healthcare provider for your child will refer them to an expert in anxiety disorders. For children, this will most likely be a child psychologist or psychiatrist.

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is typically the first treatment option for separation anxiety disorder. The therapist will help your child learn healthy ways to manage their feelings to increase self-confidence, confidence and independence, and build resilience. The therapist will also educate parents on how to help their child and aid them cope with their anxiety. The use of medication, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), is often prescribed in addition to psychotherapy for separation anxiety disorder.

Based on the specific needs of your child's needs, their counselor will determine what treatment options are appropriate for their specific needs. For instance, children who suffer from severe anxiety might benefit from a combination of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. This means exposing your child to situations that cause anxiety gradually by introducing them in small increments until they are at ease with them.

As children get older their symptoms tend to decrease. There are some adults who have symptoms of separation anxiety throughout their adult lives. This makes it difficult for them to keep relationships or achieve certain career goals, such as returning to school or relocating to work. Adults who suffer from separation anxiety have a high percentage of co-occurring conditions like other anxiety disorders depression, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, and a range of substance use disorders.

Prevention

Separation anxiety is common in many children. However, for some it can be an issue that causes problems with their lives and blocks them from participating in activities they enjoy. Talk to a mental health professional if your child's fear affects their daily routine.

Children suffering from separation anxiety suffer extreme anxiety when they are separated from their parents or other significant family members. They are always worried about being kidnapped or lost or that an accident might cause them to lose those closest to them. They may be having a difficult time sleeping at night on their own or refusing to go to school, camp, or play dates without their parents.

The signs of separation anxiety in children should last for at least four weeks before a doctor will diagnose the condition. Most often, the healthcare professional will interview the child and parents separately to obtain a full picture of the situation. They may ask about anxiety disorders description disorders that are not related to separation anxiety, family history, and life changes that might have caused or made the separation anxiety more severe.

Treatment for anxiety disorder separation varies by the child's age and the severity of the symptoms. Younger children usually express their anxiety by expressing specific fears about harm to their loved ones, such as being worried that their parents will get in a car accident or be attacked by a burglar. Separation anxiety in older children is often denied by them.

Behavioral therapy is a common treatment for children with separation anxiety. It usually involves teaching children relaxation techniques and assisting them in learning to recognize and control their fears. In some cases it is necessary to combine therapies is used, including cognitive therapy and medication.

It is crucial for adults to be consistent in their responses to children's anxiety about separation. Children need to be taught that their pleas to parents to not leave aren't valid, and they will only improve if given clear, firm boundaries and support as they work to overcome their fears.