Separation anxiety is a disorder that in its basic form develops as a result of a person or pet becoming separated from his or her home, belongings or from an individual to whom he or she is closely attached to. This is a condition that generally occurs in children as well as in adolescents who are about eighteen years old or younger, and such a condition may last for about a month or so, but which will cause quite a lot of distress that can lead to impairing the social as well as academic and occupational condition of the person.
Separation anxiety is characterized by a lot of brooding, being persistently worried about losing, or being in constant fear of harm that may befall a near and dear one as well as being afraid of being alone. There may also be nightmares occurring in which one may experience separation from a loved one, or from a family member, and this may be accompanied by physical disorders like having headaches, aches in the stomach as well as feeling nauseous and vomiting, all of which are symptoms of separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is also known to continue into adulthood though there is a change in that during adult years, there may be a panic attack, or even agoraphobia, or even both. The reason behind the occurrence of such disorders is that there may be an abnormality in the brain that helps in recognizing how much carbon dioxide is present in the blood, and being fooled into believing that there is not enough oxygen being available to the brain. Such a condition causes an adrenaline rush, which give rise to separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is also a disorder that can be inherited and it can be caused from the genes with parents having alcohol problems being more likely to pass on this problematic condition to their offspring.
To treat the child that is suffering from separation anxiety, the best course of action may be to give him or her medical attention accompanied by some form of psychological treatment. This should enable the child to gradually get exposed to the outside world and he or she must then be encouraged to mix with other children of like age. Proper counseling to teach the child to have a positive attitude as well as eliminate bad thoughts should help them get over their separation anxiety. They may also be given tranquilizers as well as anti-depressants regularly under close medical supervision, which will help them get over their separation anxiety disorder.
