Psych 2

Separation anxiety disorder is the fear f being separated from your loved ones, friends a particular person or a particular place. It is normal for parents to experience separation anxiety when their toddlers head to preschool or day care. Most children have a harrowing time letting go of their parents for the first few days of pre-school and it is not unusual to see children throwing major fits crying and refusing to leave their parents right outside the preschool. Parents also experience separation anxiety to some extent and in their case it manifests itself in an overt fear for the safety of their child in the day care center but being adults they are better equipped to handle it than their children. Fortunately for children as well parents separation anxiety is a perfectly normal reaction and is often short lived.

However when the fear of separation gains excessive proportions enough to impede the normal functioning of a child than it may qualify as separation anxiety disorder. This is a conspicuously intense fear of losing or being separated from their family members. This may also turn into panic at the thought of something precarious laying ahead for their family members which is more often simply a perception created by the child in a state of sheer panic. Separation anxiety disorder is different from the normal mild form of anxiety that children feel as a result of separation. The fear is much more pronounced in this case with the symptoms lasting for at least four consecutive weeks. The disorder commonly known as SAD will have distinctly heightened symptoms as compared to the usual feeling of anxiety that children experience between the ages of eighteen months to three years.

The onset of SAD can be triggered by several factors. While some experts believe that environmental aspects, biological factors, genetics and family life are to be blamed others place the blame squarely on two neuro transmitters: norepinephrine and serotonin.

Family history of anxiety also plays a crucial role in the child’s tolerance level towards stressful situations. Children with parents who have history of anxiety and related disorders are more prone to separation anxiety disorder than other kids. The factor is not hereditary and can actually be attributed to the fact that children tend to pick up a lot of behavioral traits simply through observation. When a family member displays uncharacteristic fear or anxiety children inadvertently pick up the behavioral traits. Another cause of separation anxiety disorder may be a traumatic event that the child may have had to endure; one that specifically involved separation from a family member.

Even though it is normal for children to exhibit some amount of separation anxiety in reference to their parents and other loved ones but if a child consistently worries about being away from his/ her home or family members you may want to seriously consider getting an SAD screening done. . Symptoms can be seen in children as young as eight years old so it’s never appropriate to dismiss fear and anxiety in your child on the grounds of his young age.

SAD is not a condition that will go away if ignored if your child displays the symptoms it is vital to seek professional advice and treatment as the disorder will impact the child’s personal and scholastic life.