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separation anxiety disorder
You are late for work and suddenly your 15-month old daughter starts crying when approaching the child care center. She cries, clinging to you as if she’d never been to the center before and was scared to death. You try to get her to walk to the door but she insists on being carried. When her teacher approaches, she buries her face in your neck, cringing when the teacher says good morning. She clings to you as you try to set her down and resists the teacher’s attempts to comfort her.
If this scenario sounds familiar, your child may be experiencing separation anxiety disorder, a somewhat common disorder in young children. Although this is a common behavior in young children, this type of behavior is also seen in children who have suffered abuse, so caution should be taken to ensure that nothing like this has happened. If anxiety such as this is accompanied by changes in eating or sleeping patterns
Separation anxiety usually begins between the ages of 8 months and 1 year and peaks between the ages of 1 and 2. Most children experience some kind of anxiety around strangers at this time in their lives. This behavior is commonly known as stranger anxiety and is the result of the child developing the cognitive skills to discern between people who are familiar and people who are not. Therefore, it is a necessary protective behavior children develop. Typically, stranger anxiety disappears as quickly as it first appeared without lasting effects.
Other symptoms of Separation Anxiety Disorder include:
- panic symptoms (such as nausea, vomiting, or shortness of breath) or panic attacks before a parent leaves
- nightmares about separation
- fear of sleeping alone
- excessive worry about being lost or kidnapped or going places without parent
If you know of a child with Separation Anxiety Disorder, you may want to consult a counselor or therapist who specializes in disorders of young children.
Dr. Catherine Swanson Cain, PhD, LMFT offers online support, counseling, e-therapy and online training on a variety of emotional, behavioral, or psychological issues, as well as family and individual counseling. Visit PediatricBehavior to schedule an appointment or to find more information.
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