Separation anxiety often occurs combined with other symptoms of anxiety. Separation anxiety can be a problem on its own, or a symptom of a larger problem. If you suffer from this anxiety, it often has to do with a bonding issue coming from a young age. Because of insecure interactions during your youth, it can be so that you experience separation anxiety at a later age.
Causes of separation anxiety?
The causes of separation anxiety can be diverse. As described earlier, it can be caused by insecure bonding in childhood years. Children, whose parents were alternating between being present and absent, can experience issues with this anxiety. Insecure bonding is characterized by emotional insecurity. You never know when someone is or is not available to support you. Oftentimes, insecure bonding in relationships is also characterized by attracting and pushing away.
If you have experienced such insecurity during your childhood years, it can be so that you feel insecure about your relationships at a later age. The thought that someone might leave you at any moment is constantly on your mind.
Another cause of separation anxiety is borderline. Borderline namely has the symptom of attracting and pushing people away. If you have borderline, it can be so that you really like someone at one moment, and at the next moment you are repulsed by this person. Relationships are very unstable with people with borderline.
Consequences of separation anxiety?
If you suffer from separation anxiety, this is likely that it has a large influence on your relationships. People with this anxiety are also likely to distance themselves, out of fear of being left by themselves. By pushing people away, they feel a little safer. They also feel less abandoned that way.
People with this anxiety often feel very lonely and find it difficult to maintain relationships. Relationships are often short and unstable.
How do I recognize separation anxiety?
The following symptoms can help you recognize separation anxiety:
- You have been alone for some time and make little effort to get to know someone.
- While you do go on dates, you never are in serious relationships.
- You experience a suffocating feeling when you think of bonds like living together.
- You prefer friends over an eventual partner.
- You have issues with intimacy.
- Making future plans is difficult for you.
How do you deal with separation anxiety? Treatment separation anxiety
There are different forms of treatment, which have been proven to be effective when it comes to separation anxiety. A small step that can be taken toward getting help is found in looking for treatment online. Because of the increased levels of technology used in treatment, there nowadays are therapies which you can follow online. "15Minutes4Me.com" developed an online self-help program which helps you to treat anxiety from home. Research has shown that "15Minutes4Me.com" is an effective treatment in minor and mild forms of anxiety.
Also, test your anxiety on the site with the help of our free anxiety test. The test takes about 5 minutes and will let you know immediately whether or not your anxiety levels are healthy. After the test, Paul Koeck, MD, provides a short explanation.
