Separation Anxiety Disorder

General Information

Separation Anxiety Disorder occurs before age 18 and is more frequent in childhood and adolescence.

The main symptoms are excessive anxiety of being away from the main caregivers or important attachment figures. Children and adolescents can report somatic complaints, headaches or stomachaches, disproportionate manifestations of anger or crying in the face of a possible separation situation, resistance to sleeping alone or attending school, and nightmares in relation to being abandoned. These manifestations must prevail for at least four weeks.

If this disorder occurs during childhood, it is likely that as an adult a person will begin to feel anxiety towards his or her close relationships, because this feeling that was had during childhood is evoked again generating the anxious symptomatology.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What causes Separation Anxiety Disorder?
Separation Anxiety Disorder is related to various emotional and family factors; among them are having experienced the loss of a loved one, having abruptly changed schools or homes, presence of strong anxiety or depression in the family nucleus, single-parent homes, overprotective, critical or controlling parenting styles.

What are the signs and symptoms of Separation Anxiety Disorder?
It is presented through the concern of losing the parents or another loved one. It can also refer to the fear of accidents or diseases. A person with this disorder may feel insecure about visiting places, even if they are known places, reject social activities and prefer the company of adults. He or she might express the wish to not attend school or to stay alone. They can insist that someone remain with them all the time. A person may experience nightmares about the death of someone close to him or her.
Presence of physical symptoms like headaches and stomachaches occur when anticipating a situation of separation.

What are the risks of Separation Anxiety Disorder?
Untreated separation anxiety generates problems in school and with interpersonal relationships. It can trigger other phobias and depression. In adulthood there is a greater risk of being prone to substance use or to experiencing panic attacks.

OUR TREATMENT MODEL

CADE offers a multidisciplinary treatment according to the characteristics and needs of the patient that is based on the patient´s diagnosis and an individual intervention plan.

A psychological or psychiatric disorder generally has a genetic or biological origin detonated by difficult and early or current traumatic experiences that lead the individual to become ill. Therefore, the clinical intervention in these disorders necessitates the multidisciplinary work of psychiatry, psychology, medicine, nutrition and complementary therapies. The treatment can be outpatient, inpatient or semi-inpatient based.