What Causes Separation Anxiety In Children

Separation anxiety in children is one of the anxiety disorders children can be affected with at an early age. It is known to appear in children between the ages of 18 months to three years. These children are typically seen clinging to their mothers and could have some issues with sleeping in their own bedroom. This particular separation anxiety can even develop further, once they reach school age. Therefore it is necessary to address this problem before they reach this age. If the symptoms are not treated appropriately, it might even lead to adult separation anxiety disorder later in their life.

The typical symptom of separation anxiety in children is severe stress, triggered by new surroundings or people, and fear of losing or being separated from a loved one. This can lead to various physical issues like nausea or headache whenever separation is likely to occur or actually happens.

If children are experiencing normal or mild separation anxiety, parents can take some steps to provide help to relief the symptoms affecting their children. They could start introducing their child gradually to new situations by leaving him or her for short time periods, insuring them that they will come back. A good bye routine, such as a good bye kiss for example, can also be quite reassuring for them. If the child needs to stay away from home, letting him or her take a familiar object, like a favorite toy, can always be a great help.

However, if separation anxiety is continuing to show symptoms resulting in affecting children's behavior even further or their parent's efforts to reduce these symptoms do not work effectively, professional help and advice are needed. Parent counseling, psychotherapy, medication or any combination of the three have been recognized as useful treatment for separation anxiety in children.

Counseling is usually considered the best treatment approach compared to medications. Therapy used may include cognitive-behavioral therapy, play therapy, talk therapy and school based counseling. To treat severe cases of separation anxiety in children effectively, or if therapy is unsuccessful, medication may be the alternative option. Nowadays, there is prescription medication as well as over-the-counter medication available. Medication usually prescribed is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like fluvoxamine which is considered to be the best and safest choice, followed by tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and benzodiazepines as the last option. For successful separation anxiety treatment, medication is usually applied in combination with therapy.

Separation anxiety in children, if left untreated or not dealt with properly, can create a high risk for causing other mental-health issues later in life, like specific other anxiety disorders. Therefore, in order to allow children to live that happy and untroubled life they are entitled to, it is advisable to speak to a healthcare professional if the symptoms continue to be persistent, or parent's help doesn't result in the hoped for relief.

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