Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is a feeling of intense fear or distress that occurs when someone is away from a person, place, or object they feel deeply attached to. While it’s a normal part of development in young children, separation anxiety can also affect older children, teens, and adults. When the fear becomes overwhelming or interferes with daily life, it may be a sign of separation anxiety disorder. We mostly treat separation anxiety among children where the symptoms have become disruptive to the child’s and caregiver’s lives.

With the right support and strategies, individuals can learn to manage their anxiety and build confidence in being apart from their loved ones. Exposure response prevention treatment (ERP) is the treatment approach for separation anxiety. To learn more about ERP, click here.