In dangerous times like this, it’s very normal to get anxious sometimes.
Bad things are heard of in the news every day, innocent people are met with undeserving unpleasant fates and everyone is being extra security conscious.
You can’t blame someone who gets a bit overprotective over their loved ones.
One can pray for a safe journey to a loved one traveling to a far place, see them off to the airport or bus park themself to make sure they’re safe, and even time track the whole journey to know when to start getting worried if they don’t get that safe arrival call. That’s all good. But when they forbid them from going to the other side of town to see a friend because they’re afraid a truck would hit them and they’ll die on the spot while on their way, now that’s a disorder. It’s called separation anxiety disorder and it is more common in adults than we know.
What is separation anxiety disorder?
Separation anxiety is a condition in which an individual experiences extreme distress in the face of physical separation or the thought of separation from someone to whom the individual has a significant emotional attachment.
It is a normal phase in childhood between six months to 3 years after which most children outgrow this anxiety. It is possible for this separation anxiety to continue into adolescence and even adulthood, only then is it diagnosed as a separation anxiety disorder.
Symptoms
Behaviors that indicate that a person is struggling with separation disorder include but are not limited to
● Difficulty sleeping when the loved one is absent.
● Difficulty concentrating when the loved one is absent.
● Emotional dependence.
● Fear of natural disasters, car accidents, and other unpredictable, dangerous events.
● Fearing for the safety of a loved one.
● Fear of a loved one getting lost.
● Wanting to accompany the loved one everywhere.
● Having no independent social life.
● Nightmares with a theme of separation.
Causes
Factors that may cause separation anxiety disorder include
● childhood adversity, such as the death of a family member.
● history of childhood traumatic events, such as abuse.
● being prone to worry or stress
● significant life changes, such as moving away from a family or support structure.
● Preexisting mental health conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and social phobias.
Treatment
If you notice some of the mentioned symptoms or know someone who does, it is very important to see a professional.
Your mental health is as important as your physical health, maybe even more, take good care of it.
