separation anxiety

Fear of parting

Separation anxiety is distress experienced when a person or animal is separated from someone they are strongly attached to.

In children, it typically manifests as crying, clinging, or tantrums when a parent leaves, and is considered a normal developmental phase in early childhood.

In adults, separation anxiety disorder involves excessive fear about being apart from attachment figures that interferes with daily functioning.

Dogs are particularly prone to separation anxiety, often becoming destructive or distressed when left alone.

attachment

bonding

Forming close connections

emotional bond · dependence · caregiver · parent-child · maternal · paternal · nurturing · clinginess · object permanence · transitional object

fear

abandonment

Act of leaving permanently

worry · foreboding · catastrophizing · getting lost · danger · hypervigilance · worst-case · intrusive thoughts

distress

panic

Uncontrollable sudden fear

hysteria · sobbing · clinging · inconsolable · hyperventilation · trembling · nausea · stomachache · nightmares · school refusal

loneliness

isolation

Complete separation from others

longing · homesickness · pining · yearning · aching · heartsick · bereft · alone · left behind · waiting

developmental

toddlerhood

Stage of learning walking

daycare · babysitter · sleepover · camp · outgrowing · age-appropriate · transitional period · individuation · autonomy · independence

clinical

disorder

Absence of organization

CBT · exposure therapy · desensitization · medication · SSRI · psychiatrist · psychologist · intervention · assessment · DSM

Categories
Opposites
attachment style

separation anxietysecure attachment

Reliable caregiver-child emotional bond

avoidant attachment

autonomy and dependence

separation anxietyindependence

Freedom from external control

self-reliance · autonomy · self-sufficiency · individuation · healthy boundaries

Family

separate, anxiety, separated, separation, separating, inseparable, separable, separations, inseparably

Familiarity
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Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Negative · Rated G