Separation Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia
Separation anxiety is a normal stage of development in babies. The exact age of its onset and resolution vary with different sources, but in general, it begins at around 8 months and ends at about 18 months but can sometimes last until 36 months of age. Separation Anxiety Disorder is not the same thing as the normal separation anxiety of babyhood. Separation Anxiety Disorder is a psychological disorder that involves intense anxiety when the person is separated from home or from someone with whom they have a strong emotional attachment (usually a parent or grandparent). By “intense anxiety” I don’t mean they simply feel anxious, or fearful at the beginning of the separation. I mean that the person feels terrified, nauseous, and disoriented by the thought that something may happen to the person they are attached to while they are absent. My daughter, Laura, has suffered from Separation Anxiety Disorder for as long as she can remember. Separation Anxiety Disorder ...