Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation anxiety disorder refers typically to younger children who are extremely unwilling to separate from parents or family members or from home. Children fear being lost to their families or are sure that something bad will happen to their family members if they are separated from them. The threat of having to separate from a caregiver often results in anxiety.

The child generally shows distress when separated from parents, and worries that the parents may suffer harm when away from the child. When separated, the child may have nightmares and sleep problems.

Children who develop separation anxiety disorder are unwilling to be away from family members and they may become isolated from other children and have difficult making friends. It can interfere with or restrict a child's normal activities to a significant degree.

Child can resist going to school which can impact on a child's schoolwork and academic progress. Children with separation anxiety disorder are more at risk for panic disorders and agoraphobia.

Symptoms of Separation Anxiety:

• Recurring distress when separated from home or parents or subject of attachment.
• Excessive worrying about losing the parents or subject of attachment.
• Excessive worry about potential harm toward oneself or one's primary caregivers.
• Excessive fear about being alone without subject of attachment.
• Persistent reluctance or refusal to go to sleep without being near a major attachment figure, like a mother.
• The child may also avoid activities that may result in separation from parents.
• Recurrent nightmares about separation.
• Refusal or reluctance to participate in ordinary outings or activities.
• Refusal to go to school or elsewhere because of fear of separation.
• Sleep Disorder.
• Stomach pain.
• Sweating.
• Headaches.
• Repeated nightmares.
• Stomachaches.
• Nausea.

Treatment:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy : Childrens with separation anxiety disorder are gradually introduced into the very situation that normally causes them anxiety. Through this they learn how they can control their anxiety while gaining greater and greater exposure to their phobic situation. Children are taught to recognize anxious feelings regarding separation and to identify their physical reactions to anxiety. They are taught to identify their thoughts in anxiety provoking separation situations, and are taught to develop a plan to cope adaptively with the situation. Behavior therapy can be extremely effective when used in conjunction with relaxation techniques.

Medicines : The antidepressants Celexa, Luvox Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac (fluoxetine), Tofranil (imipramine) and Zoloft are commonly prescribed to treat the symptoms of separation anxiety disorder. These medicines belong to a group of medications called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRI's.