Separation Anxiety (Toddlers)
Understanding Separation Anxiety
At 6 months, a baby recognizes his mother or caretaker as someone he is dependent on. When the child or caregiver is out of sight the child becomes irritable or cries out of fear of separation. This is called separation anxiety. Symptoms of separation anxiety are at their peak in babies aged 8-10 months.
Strange anxiety is also common in babies at this stage. Children get nervous and start crying when they are in a new place or meet new people.
Detachment anxiety occurs by the age of one and a half to two years when the child begins to understand that his mother or female caregiver may stay away from him but will return after a certain time.
In some cases, babies and older children present with severe separation anxiety during stressful situations such as going to school or being away from parents for an overnight camp. The child’s anxiety is disproportionate to what is expected in the actual situation, which causes distress to the child. This condition is called separation anxiety disorder (SAD).
According to research studies, childhood anxiety is a precursor to adult anxiety and depression disorders.
Symptoms of separation anxiety in children
Separation anxiety is a type of childhood anxiety disorder and varies in the presentation of symptoms according to age.
Anxiety symptoms in toddlers are characterized by withdrawal from attachment or unrelated fears about injury.
The child has separation anxiety due to which he refuses to go to school.
The child continues to worry about unpleasant events that may take him away from the attachment site, which prevents him from leaving the house or being away from the mother or caregiver.
In older children between the ages of 9 and 12, separation anxiety presents as different crises, such as parting from an attachment figure, such as night camping, overnight school trips, etc.
Older children aged between 12 and 16 also do not attend school frequently.
Separation anxiety in adolescence is characterized by physical symptoms in addition to refusal to go to school. These include headache, dizziness, stomach ache, back pain, vomiting etc.
Other symptoms of separation anxiety in toddlers include nightmares at night, bedwetting, the child refusing to sleep alone without his or her mother or caregiver.
What causes separation anxiety in children?
Family plays an important role in the development of separation anxiety symptoms in a child. Unhealthy environments in the family such as alcoholism or over-anxious mothers, arrival of younger siblings, etc., are stressful for the child. Evidence of anxiety or depressive disorders in family members can lead to anxiety disorders in children.
Strategies to help children with separation anxiety.
Toddlers are more at risk from separation anxiety than older children. To overcome anxiety, the child must be encouraged to trust other people at home in the absence of attachment figures. The child must be able to accept that his mother will return after his absence.
Various methods are useful in building trust in a child suffering from separation anxiety.
1. Initially leaving the child with a trusted person for a short period of time helps the child to trust the person in your absence and will also accept the fact that you will return.
2. Avoid leaving your baby when he is hungry, tired or restless. Due to this the child has more symptoms of anxiety.
3. Discuss with the child what he or she can look forward to when you return. This will keep the child’s mind occupied in your absence.
4. In the absence of an attachment figure, the person caring for the child should quickly divert the child’s attention to various activities without much delay after a gentle goodbye.
5. Leaving after playing with the child for a few minutes at a new place helps the child adjust to the new environment.
6. Remind the child about the time when you will be back, e.g., after a nap or after lunch, etc.
7. Objects such as a stuffed toy, blanket, scarf, etc. remind and comfort the child in the absence of an attachment figure.
8. Older children should be encouraged to recognize the signs of separation anxiety and divert their minds with various activities.
9. Breathing techniques are helpful in calming an anxious mind, especially during times of severe crisis.
10. Preparing the child in case of change of house or new place helps the older child to adjust with the new environment.
Disclaimer: The information provided in the article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your doctor.