SEPARATION ANXIETY IN ADULTS
Separation anxiety in adults is the fear of separation from attachment figures to a degree that is developmentally incongruous. Separation anxiety in adults is the persistent anxiety about harm coming to whom the individual is attached. The fear, anxiety and avoidance is persistent lasting at least 6 months or more in adults. Couples experience separation anxiety when spouse do things independently or when contact from spouse is not possible. The separation anxiety in adults causes clinically compelling discomfort or impairment in social, academic, occupational or other areas of functioning.
Prevalence
The 12-month prevalence of separation anxiety in adults in the United States is 0.9% -1.9%. separation anxiety in adults is more common who have experienced some traumatic events.
Symptoms:
- Separation anxiety in adults can be diagnosed by observing the following symptoms
- Exorbitant stress over losing significant connections by disease, fiasco injury or demise.
- Unsettled feelings about disturbing events such as being abducted, having an accident or getting lost.
- Hesitance and refusal to move out from home, to school, to work or somewhere else due to fear of separation.
- Feeling of dread toward being separated from everyone else or without attachment figure at home or in different settings.
- Frequent bad dreams including the subject of partition.
- Adults feel uncomfortable in travelling independently.
- Separation anxiety in adults may cause physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, nausea or vomiting.
Causes
- Death of attachment figure.
- Hereditary anxiety disorders.
- Parental divorce.
- Entering into a romantic relationship.
- Separation experiences or childhood traumas.
Risk and prognostic factors
The following risk factors may be the reason of developing Separation anxiety in adults.
Environmental risk:
Separation anxiety disorder often develops after life stress especially a loss, for instance, moving to a new
neighborhood, leaving parental home, immigration or separation caused by a major disaster.
Genetic risk:
Separation anxiety may be heritable. In a community sample of 6-year-old twins 73% heritability was observed with higher rate in girls.
Diagnostic factors:
Culture related issues:
Cultural variations in different countries demands desirable separation e.g. posterity need to pass on their parental home as for the age. And in some cultures strong interdependence on family members is covetable.
Gender related issues:
Females manifest separation anxiety disorder because of being sentimental and more impatient. But indirect expression of fear of separation may be more common in males.
Suicidal issues:
Separation anxiety in adults may lead to suicidal ideation.
Comorbidity:
Separation anxiety in adults is highly comorbid with specific phobias, PTSD, Panic disorder, Agoraphobia, OCD, Social anxiety disorder and personality disorders. Depressive and bipolar disorders are also comorbid with separation anxiety in adults.
Treatments:
Separation anxiety in adults might be treated by following therapies.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT):
viability of CBT for separation anxiety:
- Studies have reliably shown that CBT is a compelling treatment for separation anxiety in adults, with response rates going from 60% to 80%. CBT has been found to:
- Lessen severity
- enhance day to day functioning
- Upgrade personal satisfaction
- Lessen chance of backslide
- By utilizing CBT, people with Fear of separation can acquire viable adapting abilities, manage anxiety and work on improving their overall quality of life.
Exposure therapy (ET).
Exposure therapy is an important part of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating separation anxiety in adults. This is the way exposure theory makes a difference:
- reduced Tension: Progressive exposure assists people with becoming OK with separation.
- improved coping: enhances critical thinking, self-relieving, and close to home guideline.
- Expanded Certainty: Progress in exposure undertakings helps self-adequacy.
- Upgraded Day to day Working: Decreased evasion ways of behaving work on day to day schedules and connections.
- Long haul Adequacy: exposure therapy increases supported improvement.
By integrating exposure therapy into CBT, people with Fear of separation can actually oversee tension, upgrade adapting abilities, and work on everyday working.
Mindfulness-Based Therapies: Stress management and relaxation techniques.
with social support groups: interfacing with others encountering similar battles
Medications: antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications (e.g., SSRIs, benzodiazepines)
Real life story:
Marketing specialist Sophia, 28, had always been close to her family. She was the youngest child of three, with overprotective parents from an early age. Every time Sophia would ask of some independence, her parents would worry or guilt her into sticking around.
Sophia then moved 300 miles away to a new city for her first job post-college. Sophia was thrilled to start this new chapter and moved, but within weeks the crippling anxiety set in.
Symptoms Begin:
- Panic attacks day dreaming of being apart from her family
- Nightmares of harm or loss of loved ones that make sleep difficult
- Social event/non-mandatory travel avoidance, No family separation
- Endlessly checking the phone and desperately texting with family
Seeking Help:
Her boyfriend, Ryan, a member of the band LOKY, encouraged her to get treatment. Sophia went to therapy session with a psychologist who specializes in anxiety disorders.
Therapy and Progress:
- How Sophia recovered with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Coping skills (e.g. deep breathing, mindfulness)
- Slowly exposing the child to separation (one step at a time)
- Reframing negative thoughts
- She also belonged to an adult support group for separation anxiety disorder.
Breakthrough:
In therapy, Sophia discovered that her separation anxiety had roots to when she was a young child and how at the time, her parents were severely overprotective. This realization led Sophia toward differentiating her own self from the family identity.
- Overcoming
- With time and effort Sophia
- checking phone and texting family less
- Started going to get-together and going without unreasonable nervousness.
- Fostered a more grounded identity and freedom.
- Sophia’s story represents the intricacies of fear of separation and the significance of looking for proficient assistance.
Conclusion:
Separation Anxiety Disorder in adults require acknowledgement, understanding, and designated treatment. CBT, especially exposure therapy, has shown adequacy in decreasing side effect seriousness and working on everyday working. By tending to fundamental cognitive distortion, building adapting abilities, and slowly standing up to partition circumstances, adults with SAD can:
- Oversee uneasiness and distress
- Upgrade profound guideline
- Further develop connections and everyday working
- Improved certainty and freedom
Suggestions:
1. Look for proficient assistance from an authorized specialist experienced in anxiety disorders.
2. Take part in CBT and exposure treatment to address separation anxiety side effects.
3. Practice relaxation methods and adapting abilities.
4. Construct an encouraging group of people of family, companions, and friends.
5. Focus on taking care of oneself and stress management.
Keep in mind: Separation anxiety in adults is treatable, and with the right assistance and treatment, adults can defeat their feelings of anxiety and have fulfilling existences.
