Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation Anxiety is the kind of anxiety which is common in children and is the fear of being away or separated from a certain loved one or a certain place. 

This anxiety is usually encountered by parents as their children start preschool or day care.  When a child experiences separation anxiety, it is usually evident as the child starts crying or absolutely refuses to let go of his or her mother or father.  This manners, however, only last for a short while and reaches its worst only on the first day of preschool or of day care.  This kind of anxiety is normal, and usually only lasts for a short period of time.

 When the behavior of the child experiencing separation anxiety becomes excessive or over the top, it is then referred to as separation anxiety disorder.  Symptoms of children experiencing this type of disorder have the following symptoms:

• Intense or heightened sense of fear of being separated from particular family members
• Intense or heightened sense of fear of being lost
• Unreasonable or unnecessary fear that ill things might happen to certain family members

The fear that a child with separation anxiety disorder experiences is constant, not short-lived like the typical separation anxiety a kid has on his first day of school.  It can be considered as Separation Anxiety Disorder or SAD only if the symptoms have lasted for about four weeks.
Some factors that contribute to a child having Separation Anxiety Disorder include:

• Biological Factors
• Environmental Factors
• Genetics
• Family Living

There are two chemicals, norepinephrine and serotonin, that are present in a human’s brain that are said to trigger the start of SAD.

Genetics or heredity is a factor of SAD when a child inherits his or her parent’s traits of being anxious.  Parents who suffer from anxiety disorders may have children with a possibility of developing the same disorder.  Members of the family that expose or show excessive anxiety or fear do affect and even unintentionally teach their children to have the same fears and anxiety, which may lead to them being prone to anxiety attacks as well.  If a child has experienced any traumatic events, this could also be a trigger for SAD.

Separation Anxiety Disorder symptoms can usually be seen first in children aged eight to ten years old.  It can usually be triggered by a child having an extensive stay at home and being used it, or after a traumatic event such as an illness that occurred in the family.

A child suffering from SAD is advised to see a medical professional for a proper diagnosis.  SAD can lead to other conditions so it is quite important that the child be properly diagnosed so that he or she will get the proper treatment.  It is usually a child psychiatrist or a mental health professional that will give the proper treatment to the child by means of a psychiatric evaluation.

Separation anxiety is quite common in children, but when it becomes a disorder, it is best to bring your child to a professional to have it treated as soon as possible to ensure a brighter future for him or her.

More information about Anxiety Treatment | Back to Types of Anxiety Disorder.