The American Psychological Association (APA) defines anxiety as "an emotion characterized by physical changes such as feelings of tension, anxious thoughts, and increased blood pressure." Separation anxiety is also one of the types of anxiety.
Separation anxiety is defined as a developmentally inappropriate and excessive level of anxiety or fear about being separated from the people to whom one is attached.
In DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Some changes have been made in the book. While separation anxiety was included in the DSM-4-TR as a disorder of infancy, childhood or adolescence, it is now placed in the "Anxiety Disorders" section. The condition that "Separation Anxiety Disorder" must have occurred before the age of 18 has also been removed in DSM-5, and the condition that the symptoms must have persisted for at least 4 weeks in children and at least 6 months in adults has been added.
DSM –5 DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA
A- Developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear or anxiety about separation from people to whom the person is attached, as indicated by the presence of at least three of the following:
1. Excessive worry when you are about to leave home or the people you are attached to.
2. Fear of losing the people you are attached to or that bad things will happen to these people such as illness, injury, destruction, or death. constantly worrying about,
3. Worrying about experiencing an undesirable event that could cause separation from one of the main people to whom one is attached,
4. Never wanting to go out or go away from home to go to school, work or anywhere else due to fear of separation,
5. Constantly having an excessive fear of being alone at home or in other environments or not being with the main people to whom one is attached. .
6.Reluctance or resistance to sleep outside the home or without one of the main attachment figures.
7. Recurrent nightmares involving separation
8. Having physical symptoms when separated or about to be separated from the main person to whom one is attached
B. This fear, anxiety or avoidance is persistent, in children or adolescents It takes at least four weeks in adults and 6 months or longer in adults.
C. This impairment causes clinical distress or impairment in other social, academic, work-related areas of functioning.
D. This disorder, within the scope of autism, includes resistance to leaving the house due to excessive resistance in the disorder, delusions or hallucinations related to separation in disorders leading to psychosis, resistance to going out without a reliable companion in agorophobia, and in generalized disorder, a disease or other bad event may happen to significant others. It is not better explained by another mental disorder, such as worrying about future events or worrying about having an illness in illness anxiety disorder.
These 8 symptoms and other criteria are not for you to diagnose, label your child or yourself. However, by looking at these, it can be interpreted that there is something wrong, that all of this makes sense psychologically, and that you may need expert support. The aim is to raise awareness and be a guide.
Now let's take a look at the journey that a person goes through with his birth and try to understand the foundations of separation anxiety;
Establishing emotional bonds with others during infancy is called attachment. In his classic study of infants, John Bowlby (1969) defined attachment as a two-way process that leads infants and parents (or other caregivers) to establish emotional bonds with each other.
According to Bowlby (1973), primary The instinct is “attachment”. The baby has an attachment to the mother even before the development of cognitive abilities. If the child does not feel threatened about his existence or can easily reach the attachment object, he feels safe. A secure attachment relationship established between mother and child provides the child with the opportunity for healthy psychological development. In the future, in situations that require the child to be separated from the object of love, such as starting school, the child is expected to calm himself and adapt to the new situation. The child's ability to achieve this developmental task is often prevented by the separation anxiety experienced by the mother. Parental separation anxiety Parents who apply to us with separation anxiety should be asked the question "Whose anxiety is this?" This question provides guidance in understanding family dynamics.
Separation anxiety develops in the presence of a mutually dependent, pathological mother and child. Usually these children have mothers who are very protective and fathers who are very distant and cold. Sometimes, the mother and father are extremely fond of the child and cannot afford to separate from their child. Sometimes the parents themselves are neurotic and insecure, they are unnecessarily afraid that bad things will happen to the child and they always try to keep the child at home. Thus, even though the child is not aware of it, he is afraid that terrible things may happen to his mother, father or himself when he is away from home or at school, and insists on staying at home to prevent this, and falls into panic when forced to do so.
Separation anxiety that the mother experiences when leaving the child; It has also been stated that the presence of a mental disorder, the mother's depressive and anxious temperament, discord between parents, and marital problems increase the risk (Cummings and Davies 1994).
In fact, anxiety is literally contagious and is often passed from mother to child. At the same time, the mother is an important object of identification for the child. It is thought that if the mother is pessimistic, pessimistic, insecure, suspicious, restless and has feelings of inadequacy in her relationship with the child, this may both negatively affect the attachment process and set a negative example for the child as an object of identification.
Parents unknowingly express their anxiety during separation. They can reflect it to their children. For example, mothers and fathers who leave their babies to child care centers can express their discomfort verbally or with facial expressions. Such behaviors can increase babies' stress. The same is true for children who start school and experience separation anxiety. Since the stressful or anxious state of the parents will be reflected on the child, the feeling that there is something to be afraid of may be created in the child.
Now let's ask the same question again. 'Whose anxiety is this?'
Clinically, these children may exhibit various avoidance behaviors to get rid of the anxious situation. Functional disorders such as not sleeping in their room, not wanting to go to school, or not spending time with friends may occur. When separated from home or caregiver, or when such a separation is expected, a recurring state of extreme distress, restlessness, unhappiness, as well as accompanying physical symptoms (such as abdominal pain or body aches, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite) may occur. The child may have nightmares about this issue, wake up from sleep and go to the parents, refuse to sleep alone, and exhibit behavior that is more clingy to the caregiver.
It has been observed that children who encounter this problem at a young age may also experience problems in adulthood. Therefore, it is important for families to show sensitivity. Children need to overcome separation anxiety in order to develop in a healthy way and to establish quality relationships with their environment. However, there is a fact that should be known that the problem resolved professionally plays an important role not only for your child's future but also for your future. Remember that children give signals not only for themselves but also for their families. Because they are the bravest members of the house.
When you encounter such a situation, you should definitely get support from an expert. After your history is taken, your therapy plan should be created with the formulations and techniques you need. The studies to be carried out in this process can be carried out individually with the mother or child, or mostly with family therapy that covers all family dynamics and works cyclically and systematically.
On the other hand, as important as prevention and protection studies are in the field of biological health, psychological It is also important for our health. In fact, if we consider that our psychological health and resilience will provide immunity to our biological health, it should have a much more important place. If you or your child gives clues that they are experiencing or will experience separation anxiety, you can take precautions and take action without waiting for a problem to arise.
You can prevent a crisis without waiting for a crisis situation. It will be more meaningful.
Because preventing a crisis is easier than intervening in it.
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