Table of Contents
Separation Anxiety
Today we’re going to learn about 10 signs of having separation anxiety. Now let’s begin.
1. Separation Anxiety of Persistent fear
The world is a dangerous place, bad things happen to good people. Every single day you may worry that something or someone is going to take away the good people in your life. Worrying is natural. Everyone worries about their loved ones but your fears shouldn’t impair your life or control your choices.
People struggling with separation anxiety are unable to leave the people they love. You may be afraid that something terrible is going to happen. When you’re not around your loved ones, may reassure you. They might say, it’s okay nothing bad is going to happen. But you can’t shake the feeling that something negative is right around the corner. This is the defining signal of adult separation anxiety. You struggle to leave your loved ones because you’re afraid of what might happen in your absence. So, no matter how much you try to reason with or ignore your fears you just can’t shake this terrible feeling.
Unfortunately persistent anxiety can have a huge impact on your lifestyle. If you listen to your fears you may never leave your home or your family. You may cling to the people you love. Because you want to protect them but your good intentions can bring your life to a standstill. So, just think about the way you feel, when you’re separated from your loved ones. If you’re constantly afraid of what might happen then you may be struggling with adult separation anxiety.
2. Familial distance
Lifestyle changes are often associated with intense psychological stressors. Alright. Let’s say, your partner recently departed on a long business trip. They’re going to be traveling abroad for several months. Naturally you’re feeling scared and anxious. You can’t stop worrying about their health or safety. and your fear is beginning to impair your everyday life. All kinds of lifestyle changes can trigger bouts of separation anxiety.
For example, maybe your best friend recently moved to a different city. Maybe your sibling took a job hundreds of miles away. For whatever reason you feel a sense of distance from someone in your life. And you’re afraid of what might happen.
3. Sleeping alone
Do you have trouble sleeping alone? This is a lesser known but important symptom of separation anxiety. Most nights you sleep near someone you love. But what happens when you sleep somewhere far away from home? If you have separation anxiety this experience can be paralyzing. You may lay awake at night alone in your bed. Worrying about your home or your family. Persistent anxiety can significantly impair your sleep cycle. Creating stress, fatigue and a lack of concentration. It’s normal to think about your loved ones when you’re away. But those thoughts shouldn’t impact your well-being.
For instance, people with separation anxiety often panic about someone breaking into their home. When you’re on vacation, every time they sleep away from home. They worry an intruder is going to invade their space, steal their belongings or hurt someone they love.
If this sounds familiar, then you may be experiencing symptoms of adult separation anxiety.
4. Social isolation
How often do you meet new people? Adult separation anxiety can significantly impair social functioning. For example, people who are afraid to leave their homes or families, rarely engage with their social circles. Alright?
Let’s say an old friend invites you to dinner. If you say yes, you can enjoy a lively atmosphere and catch up with an old friend. But you’re too afraid to leave your loved ones alone instead of enjoying a fun social occasion. You retreat into your safe space and you pacify your fears. Unfortunately, separation anxiety has a ripple effect across your social life.
If you’re afraid to leave your loved ones, you may struggle to maintain friendships or make new ones you may lose. Touch with your social world and forget how to interact with other people in other words. Your fear may be destroying your social life. And it feels like there’s nothing you can do. So, if your social life has been steadily declining then think about why you struggle to engage with other people if you’re worried about what might happen. Then you may be one of the many people struggling with adult separation anxiety.
5. Professional derailment
Anxiety can impact your social life but it can also affect your professional ambitions. It may steal your attention away from your work. You may have trouble concentrating on your responsibilities because you’re always worrying about the people in your life. If you have severe separation anxiety you may be afraid of going to work. You may be using up vacation days or calling in sick because you’re anxious about leaving your home, your family or your partner. Ultimately your separation anxiety is causing tension in your work life. And that tension creates even more stress between your anxiety and your stress.
You may feel overburdened and beat down. You may lack the energy to work or achieve. Because of the emotional weight bearing down on your shoulders. Emotional stress worsens other psychological disorders including depression and generalized anxiety. Making it even more difficult to function over time.
An excess of stress and anxiety has real consequences on your quality of life. If you’re unable to perform at work, you may struggle to keep your job. If you’re unmotivated to succeed, you may give up on your goals, passions or hobbies. Unluckily, separation anxiety can have a cascading effect on your personal and professional life.
So, it’s important to recognize and care for your symptoms early. That way you can develop tools to cope with your anxiety and to stop your stressors from controlling your life.
6. Fearing of change
Do you struggle to enact changes in your own life? People with separation anxiety experience intense fear surrounding major lifestyle shifts. Think for a while that going to college, moving to a new city or married can all trigger bouts of extreme anxiety? In other words you may be resistant to change and you may avoid change at all costs.
Sometimes that means, turning down great professional opportunities because you’re afraid of changing your lifestyle. Other times you may cling to bad relationships because any change even good change overwhelms your mind with stress and worry. If you’re frequently averse to change then look deeper and figure out why you’re afraid to move your life forward. If that fear surrounds the people you love, you may be struggling with this common anxiety disorder.
7. Physical manifestations
Now, so far we’ve talked about social and psychological signs of adult separation anxiety. But this anxiety disorder can also manifest as physical symptoms. Individuals who struggle with separation anxiety may experience unexplained and situational sicknesses. When you’re filled with excess anxiety, your body may manifest your psychological stress as physical ailments, like headaches, sore throats and bouts of nausea.
Then you may worry that you’ve got a cold. But these ailments are often psychological. For example, you may feel sick, every time you part from your friends or family. You’re worried about their health or safety. So, your brain is overwhelmed by fear and that fear creates stress for your body and brain. But it’s important to remember that everyone experiences anxiety differently. This common disorder manifests in dozens of different ways.
So, try recognizing patterns in your moods, feelings and physical ailments. That way you can find the root of your problem and discover coping mechanisms that work for you.
8. Financial distress
Are you struggling to pay your monthly bills? Financial distress is often associated with separation anxiety. Not everyone who’s running low on cash experiences an anxiety disorder, but financial distress can trigger bouts of anxiety related to your home, your lifestyle and your family.
Let’s understand via an example, you may worry, you don’t have enough money to support the people in your life, you may be afraid of a disaster that you can’t afford. This constant fear stimulates excess anxiety related to the health and safety of your loved ones.
While, financial distress is not a symptom of separation anxiety but it is a common correlate. People who are financially unstable are more likely to worry about the safety of loved ones. in case of an emergency the more you worry the worse your anxiety becomes and the more likely you are to resist change.
9. Stressful anticipation
Some people experience fear when they know change is on the horizon. Imagine, you’re going on a business trip. That’ll take you out of town overnight. How do you feel in the days leading up to your trip? If you have separation anxiety, trips and vacations may be traumatic experiences.
It’s difficult to leave your loved ones but it’s equally difficult to anticipate leaving your loved ones. Adults struggling with separation anxiety are rarely excited to get away from their lives instead thinking about a trip or vacation, it motivates psychological distress. You may be overwhelmed by negative recurrent thoughts, you may consider canceling your trip. Just so, you can stay close to your loved ones even though nothing has changed. Yet, anticipating change motivates fear distress and extreme anxiety.
10. Closed communication
Many people with anxiety disorders experience shame surrounding their anxiety. You know your fears are exaggerated or irrational, you know you shouldn’t have negative thoughts. But you just can’t control the ideas that pop into your head. So, you hesitate to express yourself to the people in your life.
However communication is essential to cope with separation anxiety. If you’re afraid of what may happen in your absence then you should openly express your fears to the people in your life. And that way, your loved ones can find ways to ease your mind and support your growth.
For specimen, if you’re going out of town, you and your loved ones can create an open line of communication to check in and pacify your fears. These kinds of cooperative strategies can decrease your stress and your anxiety. Though, more importantly, they provide a steady support system, so that you can move your life in the right direction.
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