While some level of separation anxiety is normal, if your child experiences ongoing fears that are impacting other areas of their life, it could be a signal of a deeper issue. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help your child break this fear, including seeking age-appropriate therapy for a professional perspective. The following information can help you identify anxiety disorders in your child and obtain the appropriate treatment.

Understanding Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation anxiety disorder is characterized as a persistent fear of being separated from a child’s primary caregiver for any length of time. Children may express a fear that something bad will happen to them or the caregiver during time spent apart, or they might manifest physical symptoms like headaches or nausea at the thought of separation. Tantrums can also occur, and children are often reluctant to go to school each day because of these fears. These fears usually do not go away on their own and after so long they can negatively impact a child’s emotional and social development.

Steps You Can Take

When your child is young, there are many steps you can take to ease normal amounts of separation anxiety. When leaving home, quickly bid your child goodbye and be on your way. Prolonging your goodbye usually just increases anxiety. You can also do practice runs where you leave your child with a babysitter or family member for increasingly longer periods. Ensure that you keep promises in terms of how long you’ll be gone and when you’ll return. If you’re running late, call home to inform your child so they don’t worry.

How a Counselor Can Help

If your efforts are unsuccessful, therapy is extremely beneficial for kids experiencing separation anxiety disorder. Cognitive therapy can help your child identify new ways of thinking, which in turn will impact behavior. It might also be necessary to have the family join in counseling sessions, so they can better understand this anxiety disorder as well as how to help the child. When symptoms are particularly severe, medication may be recommended.

If your child is showing signs of anxiety disorder, Families Inc. is here to help. These therapists take a compassionate approach to mental health issues, especially when it comes to children. Their innovative solutions are designed with the patient in mind, which is why they’ve been so successful at treating throughout Northeast, North Central and Central Arkansas for more than 18 years. If you’d like more information on how therapy can help you or a loved one, call 877.595.8869 today. You can also visit them online for more information on the services offered.