Children and Teens With Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation anxiety disorders affect adolescents and children who worry overly when they are away from their caregivers, parents or other significant people. They may also worry that separation could result in negative consequences, like being lost or hurt.

Psychotherapy and medication are a great option to treat children with separation anxiety disorders. Therapy focuses on teaching children to approach feared situations gradually, with reassurance and support.

Symptoms

While some anxiety about being separated from loved ones is normal, separation anxiety disorder makes people much more intensely anxious than others when it comes to separating from family members and primary caregiving figures. People with this condition are afraid that something tragic will occur to their family member while they are separated, like being lost or getting sick. They might also be afraid of other circumstances that could make them separated from their loved one, for example, being kidnapped or getting into a a car accident.

This anxiety disorder can affect adults at any age. It isn't known what anxiety disorder feels like causes adult separation anxiety, but it can be caused by major life changes or by prior mental health issues such as depression or PTSD. The people who suffer from this condition may be overly dependent on their children or romantic partners and exhibit poor boundaries. Others may see them as overly demanding and clingy.

Symptoms of this condition include excessive distress when someone is separated from their family, significant distress when they are away from home or work and frequent nightmares about separation. These symptoms can make people avoid travel or 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 are worried about being left alone.

A healthcare provider will ask you about your previous and current symptoms or the symptoms of your child to diagnose separation anxiety. They will also ask you about your family and other relationships to see how you've faced separation anxiety in the past.

Treatment for this disorder includes talk therapy and, in certain cases, medication. Your therapist will show you and your children how to cope with the fear. They can assist you and your child to learn how to deal with separations in a step by steps. Medications can help to calm the brain and relax the body, which can anxiety disorders go away help ease your child's anxiety.

Diagnosis

A person suffering from separation anxiety disorder will experience extreme stress when they are away from their family members or close friends. The symptoms of separation anxiety disorder can be more severe than normal anxiety and fear. They can last for up to six months for adults and for up to four weeks in children. They can cause major disruptions to daily life, school, and work. The condition can also hinder with a person's ability to form romantic relationships and socialize.

A mental health professional will interview and observe the patient's behavior in order to determine the cause of the disorder. The provider will ask when symptoms first started and what causes them to worsen or improve. Based on the age of the patient, a mental health professional may also ask about recent events that might be causing stress, as well as any previous trauma history.

The doctor will also determine whether there is a medical condition that may cause similar symptoms. It could be due to an illness like cancer, or a neurological disorder like cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis. Other possible causes are childhood family adversities, such as parental mental illness, substance abuse domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and exposure to traumatizing events, such as natural catastrophes or sexual assault, war or the death of a loved one.

Diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder in adults is more difficult as there are no lab tests for the condition and it can share many symptoms with other fears. A person who develops a separation anxiety disorder in their adulthood typically does so after experiencing a traumatic event or significant loss. Some studies suggest that people who have been diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder in childhood are more likely to be suffering from anxiety and depression later in life.

Separation anxiety disorder can be treated in various ways. Treatment like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medications, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as well as antidepressants, can help people overcome their fears. People with this disorder often benefit from parent education and methods 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 associated with physical symptoms, and affects daily functioning. According to the BetterHelp online therapy service, separation anxiety disorder is the most prevalent anxiety disorder that is diagnosed in children, affecting up to 4% of them, with an age at onset of around 7 years.

Your child's healthcare professional will conduct a thorough exam to determine if there are any physical issues that could be causing anxiety. If no physical issues are found then the healthcare provider for your child will refer them to an expert in anxiety disorders. This will likely be a psychologist or child psychiatrist.

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is often the first treatment option for separation anxiety disorder. The therapy therapist will assist your child to learn how to manage their emotions and increase self-confidence and independence, as well as build resilience. The therapist will also educate parents on how to support their child and help them deal with their anxiety. Separation anxiety disorder is typically treated by best medication for social anxiety disorder, for example antidepressants, such as selective serotoninin receptor inhibitors (SSRIs).

Depending on your child's specific needs, the counselor will determine what treatment options are appropriate cure for anxiety disorder them. For instance, children who suffer from extreme anxiety may benefit from a combination of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. This means exposing your child to situations that cause anxiety gradually over time in small steps until they are at ease with them.

Often, children with separation anxiety disorder will improve as they get older and their symptoms diminish. There are some adults who experience symptoms of separation disorder in their adult life. This can make it difficult for them to maintain relationships or pursue certain career goals, such as returning to college or relocating to work. Adults suffering from separation anxiety disorder are more likely to suffer from co-occurring disorders, including other anxiety disorders, depression and phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, and a variety of addiction disorders.

Prevention

For many kids who are anxious about separation, it is a normal part of development. For others, separation anxiety is a serious problem that affects their lives and hinders their participation in activities they love. If your child's fears are disrupting their daily routine consult an expert in mental health.

Separation anxiety disorder is a disorder in which children experience severe distress when separated from parents or other figures of attachment. They are constantly worried about being snatched away, missing or experiencing an accident that could cause the loss of those closest to them. They might have difficulty falling asleep at night or refuse to go to play dates, school or camp without their parents.

Doctors where do anxiety Disorders come From not diagnose separation anxiety until the signs of a child are present for at least four weeks. The healthcare provider can interview both the child and parents individually to get the full picture. They might also inquire about other anxiety disorders or family history, as well as changes in life that may have caused or made separation anxiety worse.

Treatment for anxiety disorder separation differs depending on the age of the child and the severity of the symptoms. Children express anxiety by worrying about their attachment figures. For instance they might be worried that their parents are involved in a car accident or harmed by burglars. In contrast older children with separation anxiety typically deny that they are worried about leaving the house.

Children with separation anxiety are often treated with behavioral therapy. It usually involves teaching children relaxation techniques and assisting them in learning to recognize and manage their anxieties. In some instances there is a mix of treatments, such as cognitive therapy, is utilized.

It's important for adults to be consistent in their responses to children's separation anxiety. Kids need to know that their pleas to parents not to leave aren't valid, and they will only get better if they're given clear, firm boundaries and a lot of support while they work to overcome their fears.