How to Cope as an Adult with Separation Anxiety: Tips From an Anxiety Therapist in Sugar Land, TX
Understanding Separation Anxiety in Adults
As adults, we do not often think that we have separation anxiety. We probably attribute this to stress, mothering, or general anxiety, but it is its own condition.
If you find yourself:
Repeatedly calling or texting a loved one when they’re away
Constantly checking cameras to see what your loved ones are doing
Being overly strict, intrusive, or overprotective with your children
Worrying that your kids will not need you anymore
Fearing that your partner is going to leave you
Feeling friendless or overly stressed when you lose your phone for even a short time
Having high demands for family members and friends
You are likely experiencing separation anxiety. Recurring nightmares about the death of someone you love can also indicate this condition.
Anxiety therapy in Sugar Land, TX can provide crucial support for those struggling with separation anxiety. Through therapeutic approaches, individuals can learn effective coping strategies, understand the root causes of their fears, and develop healthier patterns of relating to their loved ones. A trained anxiety therapist can guide you in managing your symptoms, allowing you to build more fulfilling and independent relationships.
Prevalence and Causes of Separation Anxiety
According to The American Journal of Psychiatry, an estimated 43.1% of people who experience separation disorder (other than as children) develop the condition after 18 years of age. The separation that causes us distress could be related to a romantic partner, a child, a pet, a parent, or any close relationship. Many people who have separation anxiety have it as children. However, that does not mean it cannot start independently in adulthood. Typically the person who has separation anxiety lost an attachment figure in their childhood. Or someone who has experienced some childhood trauma.
This is not always the case, though. At times, an adult develops separation anxiety after they lose a trusted figure, maybe due to moving away or having to be separated for a time. Separation anxiety disorder is often a secondary diagnosis to other mental health conditions like generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.
Emotional Impacts of Separation Anxiety
A study completed by Megan Finsaas and Daniel Klein found that “adult women with higher levels of separation anxiety are more prone to experiencing negative emotions and reacting strongly to stress, and that they may also tend towards aggression, feeling alienated, and being absorbed in their sensory experiences. The study also suggests that the tendency to experience negative emotions may lead to increased levels of separation anxiety” (Adult separation anxiety: Personality characteristics of a neglected clinical syndrome).
People who live with those suffering from separation anxiety have described them as controlling or overprotective. In reality, it is just the way that the person suffering from anxiety expresses their fear. Unfortunately, it is easier to be angry than vulnerable and put words to an uncomfortable feeling. Many people feel shame and guilt about their separation anxiety. Even speaking about it is difficult because they know, on the one hand, it feels over the top, but it is a real intense fear that they are experiencing in their bodies.
How Separation Anxiety Affects Your Life
How is separation anxiety impacting you as an adult? If you are an adult with separation anxiety, you have probably seen a drop in work attendance/performance, you may have tried and failed to live on your own, and you likely feel unable to tolerate time away from loved ones. You may have a very small social circle… if you have a social circle at all because having a social circle means you would have to spend time apart from your loved ones. Romantic relationships become difficult- you rarely date, or you commonly become overly dependent on your romantic partners.
It is not uncommon for those with separation anxiety to stay in a relationship long past their expiration date because they do not want to be alone. Separation anxiety limits people in their lives; it stumps personal and professional growth and can even impact our children. As parents, we never want to see this happen. Still, many people with separation anxiety find themselves transmitting their emotional baggage to their children. Adults with separation anxiety disorder can appear depressed, withdrawn, and apathetic because of the constant anxiety they are experiencing.
Finding Help Through Anxiety Therapy
Having separation anxiety does not have to hold you back forever. The sooner you can get help and learn management strategies, the sooner you can begin to take control of your life and begin to live freely. Unshackled from your worries. Through therapy, such as anxiety therapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the therapist can help people identify the thoughts and behaviors that make their separation anxiety worse.
In some cases, parenting techniques can reduce their separation anxiety. In some circumstances, medications are beneficial in reducing symptoms of separation anxiety. So that the person can be in a more comfortable place to address their issues in talk therapy. If you are suffering from separation anxiety, text us, and let's talk about how Southern Pine Counseling can help.
Heal From Your Separation Anxiety With The Help of Anxiety Therapy in Sugar Land, TX
If you're struggling with separation anxiety, know that you're not alone and support is available. At Southern Pine Counseling, I’m here to help you explore anxiety therapy techniques tailored to your unique needs. Together, we can help you develop effective coping strategies and regain control of your life. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
Contact me to schedule a free 15-minute consultation
Begin meeting with a skilled anxiety therapist
See positive changes in your anxiety!
Other Counseling Services at Southern Pine Counseling
At Southern Pine Counseling, I provide services to address a wide range of issues for women who are struggling. So, alongside helping you cope with your separation anxiety with anxiety therapy, I offer trauma therapy to help empower individuals to regain a sense of control, alleviate symptoms, and improve overall well-being, fostering a positive and meaningful quality of life. Other services include therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Adjustment Disorder, Perfectionism, and Life Changes such as divorce, a new move, a new job, or considering a change of career. For more information and to get to know me better, visit my blog.
