Children and Teens With Separation Anxiety Disorder

Children and adolescents suffering from separation anxiety disorder have a tendency to worry about being apart from their parents, caregivers or other important people in their lives. They might also be concerned that being separated could have negative consequences, such as being lost or hurt.

Psychotherapy and medications can be used to treat children with separation anxiety disorders. The child is taught to tackle the fearful situations slowly, and with confidence.

Symptoms

Separation anxiety disorder is more severe than normal different anxiety disorders when it comes to being separated from family and primary caregivers. People suffering from this condition are worried that something bad will occur to their family member if they are separated, like losing their way or falling ill. They might also be worried about other situations that could keep them from their loved ones, for example, being kidnapped or getting into a car accident.

This anxiety disorder can be experienced by adults at any age. It's not known what causes separation anxiety in adults however it could be triggered by significant life changes or previous mental health issues, such as depression or PTSD. People with this condition may be overly dependent on their children or romantic partners, and have poor boundaries. Others can view them as being too clingy and demanding.

This condition is marked by a high level of distress when one is cut off from their family, significant stress when away from home or at work, and frequent dreams of separation. These symptoms can cause people to avoid traveling or engaging in other activities that require physical separation from family members, such as going back to school. Children who suffer from this condition might experience physical problems such as stomach pains when they worry about being alone.

To determine the severity of this disorder, the healthcare professional will inquire about your or your child's previous and current symptoms. They will also inquire about your family and other relationships to see how you've faced separation anxiety in the past.

Talk therapy and, in certain instances, medication are utilized to treat this disorder. Your therapist can show you and your child ways to cope with their fears. They can also assist you to approach feared situations through a step-by-step method that will help your child learn how to cope with separations and increase their confidence. The medicines can help calm the brain and relax the body to ease your child's anxieties.

Diagnosis

Separation anxiety disorder can cause a person to feel extreme anxiety when they are away from their home or other close relatives. Contrary to the normal fears and anxieties that many people experience, the symptoms of this disorder are persistent, often lasting more than four weeks for children, and up to up to six months in adults, and they create major disruptions to the daily routine and functioning at school and work. It can also impact the social anxiety disorder symptoms life of a person and their ability to establish romantic relationships.

To determine the cause of this disorder A mental health professional will talk to the patient and observe the patient's behavior. The provider will want to determine when the symptoms began and what makes them more or less severe. Based on the age of the patient the mental health professional might also inquire about any recent events that may have caused stress and any past trauma.

The provider will also determine if there is another medical condition that could cause similar symptoms. This could be due to an illness like cancer, or an underlying neurological disorder, such as multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy. Other possible causes include family-related adversities that affect children such as mental illness, addiction to drugs or child abuse, domestic violence and neglect, and exposure to traumatizing events such as natural catastrophes, sexual assault, war, or the death of a loved one.

It can be difficult to diagnose separation anxiety disorder in adults, since there are no tests for it and the symptoms could be similar to other anxiety disorders. Separation anxiety disorder is more common in adults who have experienced an emotional trauma or a major loss. Certain studies suggest that those diagnosed with separation disorder in their early years may be more likely to develop anxiety and depression disorders as adults.

Separation anxiety disorder can be treated in a variety of ways. Individuals suffering from separation anxiety can overcome their fear with therapy, including cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT), or medications like selective serotonin receptor antagonists and antidepressants. People with this disorder often benefit from parent education and methods to improve the quality of their relationship with their children.

Treatment

Many children go through a phase where they are terrified of strangers and clingy, when this anxiety persists through elementary school and beyond and is associated with physical symptoms, and interferes with daily functioning it could be a sign of separation anxiety disorder. According to BetterHelp an online therapy service for children the disorder of separation anxiety is a problem that affects as many as 4% of children, with an average age of 7 years.

Your child's doctor will perform an extensive exam to rule out physical ailments that could be causing anxiety. If no physical problems are found, the healthcare provider for your child will refer them to an anxiety disorder specialist. This will likely be a child psychiatrist or psychologist.

Psychotherapy, also referred to as talk therapy, is often the first course of treatment for separation anxiety disorder. The therapy therapist will work with your child to teach them healthy ways of managing their emotions, building self-confidence and independence, and building their resilience. The therapist will also educate parents on how they can help their child with anxiety. Treatment, such as antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically used in conjunction with psychotherapy for separation anxiety disorder.

The therapist will decide the best treatment plan for your child based upon their particular needs. Children who suffer from severe anxiety, for example might benefit from a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. This is when your child is exposed to situations that cause anxiety gradually, in small steps, until they are at ease with them.

Most often, children suffering from separation anxiety disorder improve as they get older, and their symptoms will diminish. Some adults may still have symptoms of separation generalized anxiety disorder medication throughout their adult lives. It can be challenging to maintain relationships or to pursue certain career goals such as returning to college or going to work. Adults suffering from separation disorder are more likely to develop co-occurring disorders like depression, phobias, and post-traumatic disorder.

The following is a list of preventions.

For many kids with separation anxiety, it's a normal part of development. For others, anxiety over separation can be a serious issue that can affect their lives and prevents participation in the activities they enjoy. Consult a mental health professional if your child's anxiety is affecting their daily routine.

Children with separation anxiety disorder suffer extreme stress when they are separated from their parents or other major relationships. They are always worried about being abducted, lost, or experiencing an accident that could lead to the loss of loved ones to them. They may be having a difficult time sleeping at night on their own or they may refuse to go to school, camp, or play dates without their parents.

Doctors are not able to diagnose separation anxiety until the signs of a child are present for at minimum four weeks. The healthcare provider can interview both the child and the parents in a separate session to gather the complete picture. They may inquire about other anxiety disorders or family history, as well as life changes that might have caused or made separation anxiety more severe.

Treatment for separation anxiety disorder is dependent on the child's age and the severity of symptoms. Children express anxiety by worrying about their attachment figures. For example they might be worried that their parents could be in a car crash or harmed by a burglar. Separation anxiety in older children is often ignored by them.

Children who suffer from separation anxiety are usually treated with behavioral therapy. It usually involves teaching children relaxation techniques and teaching them to recognize and manage their anxieties. In some cases, a mixture of treatments, such as cognitive therapy, is used.

Adults should be consistent in their responses to children experiencing anxiety over separation. Children must be taught that their parents' pleas not to leave them not valid. They will only be able to improve when they are given clear, definite boundaries and help in overcoming their fears.