How
to Understand Separation Anxiety Disorder?
Pop
culture frequently portrays separation anxiety as a part of growing pains, with
babies sobbing when taken from their mothers' arms or mothers themselves
becoming "hysterical" when they are separated from their children for
any reason. However, separation anxiety disorder is recognised as one of a
range of anxiety disorders that can significantly impact someone's life. It
goes beyond a parent-child relationship.
In
other words, separation anxiety is a normal and necessary component of personal
development. When it manifests pathologically and negatively affects people's
life even as adults, it is considered a disorder.
What
Are the Signs and Symptoms of Separation Anxiety?
The
diagnostic criteria for separation anxiety disorder in children include a
child's fear of being or sleeping away from a caregiver and their extreme
distress when separated.
The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
states that separation anxiety disorder affects adults and is characterised by
excessive worry before or during any type of separation, fearing fictitious
scenarios involving losing a loved one, worrying about actual life events that
could harm a loved one, not wanting to be away from someone, having nightmares
about losing someone, and other similar feelings that can affect a person's
day-to-day life. In particular, fear is linked to being separated from a person
who is thought to be a source of security and comfort.
The
worry may not necessarily be about a specific individual but rather any type of
connection figure. Separation anxiety can also be caused by a house, a pet, or
any other important object. If it persists for longer than six months in
adults, it qualifies as a diagnosable condition under the DSM-5 if it is
abnormal for the person's age and stage of development and becomes a disorder
if it is.
Who
is Susceptible to Separation Anxiety Disorder?
According
to certain research, women are more likely than men to struggle with separation
anxiety, both as toddlers and adults. Additionally, it was discovered that
those who experienced non-normative sexuality and gender as children did so
more intensely than heterosexual guys. In addition, it has been discovered that
women with early separation anxiety are more likely to develop eating disorders
and uneasy attachment patterns as they age.
As
a result of the realisation that separation anxiety can occur at any age and at
any time and is frequently a lifelong illness, the DSM no longer has an age
restriction of 18 years at the time of onset for diagnosis. Separation anxiety
affects adults less frequently than it does children, but it also takes them
longer to recover from it than other anxiety disorders, according to a global
study.
According
to additional studies, separation anxiety disorder is strongly influenced by
cultural factors in both its detection and manifestation.
Why
do some people develop separation anxiety?
Other
neurodivergent or neurodevelopmental characteristics, such as autism, obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), and even social phobias like agoraphobia, can be linked to
separation anxiety. Traumatic experiences in early life, such as the loss of a
loved one, abuse, or moving away from social support, can also be underlying
causes of the illness in adults. Children who have the disease may also have a
family history of mental illness.
However,
it need not necessarily be traumatic. According to counsellor Allison Forti,
"important life transitions like moving away for college or having a kid
can cause adult separation anxiety, particularly for those who have an
underlying anxiety illness."
Many
people who suffer from severe separation anxiety in their relationships were
neglected or suffered catastrophic losses as children. As a result, they may
end up becoming either overprotective parents or overbearing spouses, neither
of which is good for the well-being of the respective relationships. In
addition, a lot of adults with separation anxiety will also have additional
personality problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental
illnesses on their medical records.
How
Is the Disorder of Separation Anxiety Treated?
Treatment
options include medication, dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT), exposure
therapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is the most popular.
Couples or family therapy to help the person interact with the people they are
having a hard time separating from more effectively, as well as
anxiety-reducers like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, can also be
helpful, according to Judy Ho, a clinical and forensic psychologist, in an
article for Health.