Separation Anxiety Disorder In Adults: Symptoms, Treatments, & How to Cope

Separation anxiety in adults refers to a great fear of being away from a loved one. Separation anxiety is common in children; however, adults can suffer from it too, often due to attachment issues from childhood. In children, it’s often in relation to a caregiver. In adulthood, it can be anxiety related to being separated from a loved one like a child or partner.

Treatment of Separation Anxiety Disorder In Adults

Thankfully, separation anxiety can be treated, usually with therapy. The approach to treatment will depend on the person’s history and the specific triggers of the anxiety.

Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common types of therapy used to treat anxiety disorders. In CBT, the therapist helps you identify negative thought patterns that impact your behavior and emotions. By getting to the root of the thought, it empowers you to reshape your experience. When used consistently for two months, CBT can help relieve feelings of stress and anxiety.^5,6

Mindfulness and formal meditation are often integrated into therapy due to their powerful anxiety-reducing capabilities.⁷ They help people learn to pull their attention away from unhelpful thoughts and be more present. Certain types of therapy like acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-based CBT, and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) utilize mindfulness as a method of emotional regulation.

For those who can identify a specific situation that caused their separation anxiety, solution-focused therapy can help. It’s often provided in 6-8 sessions (or fewer) and focuses on helping people find solutions to specific problems and stressors. Those with chronic anxiety problems may benefit from longer-term therapy, but solution-focused therapy helps more with situational anxiety or adapting to a specific life change.

Medication

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are considered the most common forms of medication for separation anxiety. People respond differently to every type of medication, so it’s important to recognize that there is no “one-size-fits-all” option. You should always have medical supervision from a psychiatrist or primary care physician when starting, changing, or ending a medication regimen.⁸

Coping With Separation Anxiety as an Adult

Therapy often teaches supplemental methods of coping with anxiety that you can use all the time, even when you’re by yourself. During any given session, you’ll likely also learn about the poor coping mechanisms you may have used in the past that exacerbated or further triggered anxious thoughts, and learn better methods of emotional regulation.⁹

Healthy ways to cope with separation anxiety include:

• Mindfulness meditation
• Art therapy
• Journaling
• Narrative therapy
• Yoga
• Talking to loved ones about how you feel
• Making actionable steps and goals to resolve problems

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to address and overcome challenges with adult separation anxiety, like talking to a therapist or reaching out to a trusted friend or family member can make an enormous difference in how you feel. Learning to manage and cope with anxiety can take time, but try to remember to have patience with yourself—healing is possible.

For Further Reading

• Separation Anxiety in Relationships: Signs, Causes, & How to Cope
• Mental Health America
• National Alliance on Mental Health
• MentalHealth.gov