Children and Teens With Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation anxiety disorders affect children and adolescents who fret overly when they are away from their parents, caregivers or other significant people. They might also be concerned that being separated could have negative consequences, for example, being hurt or lost.

Psychotherapy and medication can be used to treat children suffering from separation anxiety disorders. Therapy focuses on teaching children to manage fearful situations gradually with encouragement and support.

Signs and symptoms

Separation anxiety disorder is more intense than normal anxiety in the event of being separated from family and primary caregivers. People with this condition fear that their family member will suffer a tragic event when they are separated. This could include getting lost or getting sick. They might also be afraid of other situations that could make them separated from their loved ones such as being kidnapped or having a an accident with a car.

This Anxiety disorder social phobia disorder can affect people at any age. Adult separation anxiety isn't known to be caused by any specific factor, but it may be triggered by life changes, depression, or PTSD. The sufferers of this disorder might feel a lot dependent on children or their romantic partners, and have poor boundaries. Some may see them as being overly clingy or demanding.

The signs of this disorder include a high level of distress when a person is separated from their family, severe anxiety when they are away from their home or at work and frequent nightmares of separation. These symptoms can cause people avoid travel or other activities that require physical separation from family members, for example, going back to school. Children who suffer from this condition might experience physical problems such as stomach pains when they are worried about being alone.

To diagnose this disorder the healthcare professional will inquire about your or your child's past and present symptoms. They will also ask you about your family and other relationships to determine how you've dealt with separation anxiety in the past.

Talk therapy and, in some instances, medications are used to treat this disorder. Your therapist will instruct you and your children how to cope with the fears. They can also assist you deal with situations that scare you in a step-by-step process that can help your child understand how to deal with separations and build up their confidence. The medications can calm the brain and relax the body to ease your child's anxieties.

Diagnosis

A person suffering from separation anxiety disorder will experience extreme stress when apart from home or close attachment figures. Contrary to the normal fears and anxieties that people generally feel these symptoms disorder are long-lasting, usually lasting more than four weeks in children and six months or longer for adults. They create major disruptions to the daily routine and functioning at work and school. It can also affect the person's social life and ability to develop romantic relationships.

To determine the cause of this disorder A mental health professional will interview the patient and observe their behavior. The provider will ask when symptoms first started and what triggers the symptoms to become worse or better. A mental health professional will inquire about recent events and trauma history, depending on the age of the patient.

The provider will also try to determine whether the phobia is the result of a different medical condition that can cause similar symptoms, like an illness, like cancer or a neurological issue such as cerebral palsy or multiple-sclerosis. Other causes include family traumas like mental illness of the parents, domestic violence, abuse of substances and child neglect and abuse.

It can be difficult to diagnose separation anxiety disorder in adults because there aren't any lab tests and the symptoms could be similar to those of other fears. Separation anxiety disorder is more frequent in adults who have experienced an emotional trauma or a major loss. Some studies indicate that people who suffer from separation disorders in childhood are more likely to develop anxiety and depression disorders later in life.

Separation anxiety disorder can be treated in a variety of ways. Therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt for anxiety disorders) as well as medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as well as antidepressants, can assist people to overcome their fears. 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 stage where they are clingy and fearful of strangers If this fear persists throughout elementary school and beyond and is manifested as physical symptoms and interferes with daily functioning, it may be an indication of separation anxiety disorder. In fact, according to the BetterHelp online therapy service, separation anxiety disorder is the most prevalent anxiety disorder blood pressure disorder seen in children with up to 4 percent of them, with an age at onset of about 7 years.

Your child's healthcare provider will conduct a thorough examination to identify any physical issues that could be causing anxiety. If no physical problems are identified the healthcare provider of your child will refer them to an expert in mental health who has experience in treating anxiety disorders. For children who are ill, this could be a child psychologist or psychiatrist.

Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) is typically the first option for treating separation anxiety disorder. The Therapist will help your child learn how to manage their feelings and increase self-confidence and independence, and build resilience. The therapist will educate parents on how they can assist their child who is suffering from anxiety. Medication, including antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically used in conjunction with psychotherapy for separation anxiety disorder.

Based on your child's individual needs, the therapy therapist will determine which options are best for their specific needs. For example, children with extreme anxiety may benefit from a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. This is the process of gradually exposing your child to the situations that trigger anxiety disorder physical symptoms over time in a series of small steps until they are comfortable.

As children age their symptoms typically decrease. However, some adults could be suffering from separation anxiety throughout their adult lives. It can be difficult for them maintain relationships or to pursue certain career goals such as returning to college or moving to work. Adults who suffer from separation disorder are more likely to have co-occurring disorders, such as depression, phobias, and post-traumatic disorder.

Prevention

For many kids, separation anxiety is an expected part of developing. For others it can turn into an issue that causes problems with their lives and stops them from taking part in activities they enjoy. Speak to a mental healthcare specialist if your child's fear is affecting their daily routine.

Children suffering from separation anxiety disorder suffer extreme anxiety when they are separated from their parents or other important attachment figures. They are constantly concerned about being kidnapped or lost, or that an accident could cause them to lose the people closest to them. They might also have a hard time sleeping on their own at night or they may refuse to go to camp, school or play dates without their parents.

Doctors do not diagnose separation anxiety until the signs of a child have lasted at minimum four weeks. The healthcare provider can interview both the child and the parents separately to obtain the complete picture. They might ask questions about anxiety disorders or changes in the life like family history and life events that could trigger the separation anxiety.

Treatment for anxiety disorder separation differs by the age of the child and the severity of the symptoms. Younger children typically express their anxiety through specific concerns about harm to their attachment figures, such as a fear that their parents might be hurt in a car accident or be attacked by a burglar. In contrast older children who suffer from separation anxiety usually deny that they are anxious about leaving home.

Behavioral therapy is a common treatment for children suffering from separation anxiety. It usually involves teaching children relaxation techniques and assisting them in learning to recognize and control their fears. In some instances there is a mix of therapies, including cognitive therapy, is utilized.

Adults should be consistent with their responses to children experiencing separation anxiety. Children need to understand that their parents' pleas not to let them go are not valid. They will only improve if they receive clear, unambiguous boundaries and support in overcoming their fears.