Anxiety is used synonymously with the word anxiety and worry in many scientific sources. For this reason, separation anxiety in children and separation anxiety or separation anxiety in children are exactly the same. It is quite normal for healthy babies who are separated from their caregivers, especially in the 0-3 age range, which we call infancy and early childhood, to feel a certain level of anxiety. .), the baby is in need of care both physically and emotionally. Therefore, he expects them to provide this care for him. For this reason, it is very difficult for the baby to stay away from people who have met all his needs and are always there for him. In fact, this anxiety emerges as a result of the trust and commitment that the baby feels about the close emotional relationship with the other person. It is a sensitive situation that needs to be managed in a healthy way and resolved gradually.
When the feeling of anxiety that develops due to this sensitive situation cannot be resolved in infancy, it manifests itself as separation anxiety in different situations at each stage of growth. In other words, unresolved separation anxieties in infancy may change shape, size and level by passing into childhood, and separation anxiety in childhood may pass into adolescence and adulthood. when necessary, to make friends in the park, to establish social relations with others, and to adapt to school, most of all. Separation anxiety can be observed more clearly in children when they reach the age of onset. Person continuity is the state of infants knowing that even if a person leaves the current environment, that person still exists. Therefore, when their caregivers leave the environment, they worry about their leaving. This anxiety experienced by babies is normal until the attachment process is completed. But if a baby shows signs of separation anxiety constantly, then it can be thought that it is a situation that requires being irregular, inconsistent and anxious.
Separation anxiety in children begins in infancy. However, this anxiety will decrease if the caregivers create environments where children can be in contact with other people and the outside world in an appropriate and safe manner and can be separated from them for a while. Therefore, separation anxiety is not experienced as intensely as before. As children experience the moments of healthy separation and pleasant reunion with their caregivers, this scene is reinforced in the minds of children.
The consolidation of a healthy separation and reunion in the child's mind reveals 2 strong bonds of trust. One of these bonds is a bond of trust to their parents, and the other is a bond of trust to those the parent trusts. As a result of these two strong bonds, while children trust that their parents will not abandon them, they also believe that the people their parents choose for them (teacher, grandmother, grandmother, play sister, caregiver, etc.) are reliable people. Therefore, when they are away from their caregivers, they can experience the feelings of happiness, peace and joy more comfortably instead of anxiety.
Children can feel much more peaceful when they develop a bond of trust. For example, when she was separated from her mother, who dropped her off at school, because she knew that her mother would come back and pick her up after a certain period of time (trust the parent) and that her mother would not give her a reliable teacher. The child can also have fun and enjoyable time with his friends at school because he believes that he has surrendered to the factor (trust to the parents). As a result of all these, children can cope with their emotions more easily in case of separation from their caregivers. . There is a possibility of “separation anxiety disorder” in children who show signs of intense separation anxiety even though they have passed this age period. It is a state of intense uneasiness and anxiety that occurs when they are separated from the person who gives them, and that is not suitable for the content of the actual separation situation. Separation anxiety in children can be observed in many different forms of behavior. These can be listed as follows:
Crying a lot and intensely, yelling
Never agreeing to be separated from caregivers
Too much clinging to caregivers
Expressing various physical complaints such as nausea, abdominal pain or headache in situations that require separation from caregivers
Sweating, trembling, heart palpitations, frequent breathing, tension
Difficulty falling asleep
Night sleep disruptions triggered by separation situations
Having nightmares during sleep
Inability to sleep alone
Different ways to stay away from caregivers don't make excuses
Refusal to communicate with people who try to talk to her in order to reduce her anxiety and calm her down at the time of separation from caregivers
Be closed to other people who want to socialize with her
Do not overreact such as covering your ears, shouting, throwing yourself on the ground when there is talk about separation (such as going to school)
Change the subject when the subject of separation is mentioned
The occurrence of the above-mentioned behavioral disorders in children can be considered as a sign of separation anxiety.
What Causes Separation Anxiety Disorder in Children?
What causes separation anxiety disorder in children? There may be multiple factors involved. If you would like to have information about the situations that cause this anxiety by examining the factors in question, you can take a look at the following topics.
The Process of Separation from Caregivers and Gaining Autonomy
3 years old The fact that a child who has never been separated from caregivers has never been separated from them causes the child to maintain a dependent relationship with his caregivers. In order for the child's autonomy development to be managed in an ideal way, it is important that parents prepare their children appropriately for these separations. They believe that they cannot maintain their relationship with the world on their own. Because they think that there is no one to protect them against external factors. Therefore, they may feel insecure, excessive anxiety and fear when they are away from their caregivers. These parents often believe that they cannot maintain their own individual life by staying away from their child. They may also think that no one but themselves can take good care of their child. For example; They may panic when they think about situations such as their child will not eat and starve all day, or fall while swinging on a swing at school. Realizing the separation at the same time can create insecurity and anxiety in the child. For example, when the child is playing in the living room, the mother sneaks out of the house so that the child does not cry, and the child later realizes that the mother is not at home, and her Separation anxiety can be triggered more as a result of realizing that she is gone at once.
Traumatic Events
Traumatic events such as accident, surgery, serious illness, death, harassment and violence are among the situations that trigger separation anxiety. For example; The fact that one of the caregivers has had a traffic accident may cause the child to worry that bad events will happen to the people in question whenever they are separated from them. If they have been exposed to negative attitudes or bullying by others, these situations can turn into negative social experiences for the child. These negative experiences also manifest themselves in the form of separation anxiety.
The Presence of Acute Disorders or Psychological, Mental and Physical Problems
The end of the illness period when the parent provides intensive care to their child in acute illnesses such as colds, diabetes mellitus Conditions that cause psychological problems such as a chronic illness, different physical diseases, or childhood depression, which should be under the constant control of their parents, may cause separation anxiety in children. Symptoms can manifest themselves acutely or chronically, depending on the situation.
How Can Children Get Used to Being Separated from Their Caregivers?
Children regularly interact with caregivers who provide them with care, attention and emotional intimacy. Just as they need to be together, they also need to have healthy separations with them. However, achieving this separation is not easy. In order for children to be separated from their caregivers in a healthy way without developing separation anxiety disorder, there are some points that both parents and other caregivers, if any, should pay attention to. and are more likely to develop separation anxiety. For this, you can take a look at the suggestions below.
Secure environments should be created to allow separation with the child from infancy. For example; Sometimes the child and parent may be in separate rooms, or the child may have a different trustworthy location.
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