Separation anxiety is when someone fears being apart from or losing a person or other attachment figure. Adults can experience separation anxiety, although it is more common in children.

Separation anxiety is an anxiety disorder. A person may develop extreme anxiety due to the separation, or anticipated separation, from a specific attachment figure. This can be a person, place, or even an animal.

A person may also present with manifest physical symptoms of separation anxiety, such as nausea and headaches.

In this article, we cover the symptoms, causes, and treatments for separation anxiety.

Health experts have previously considered separation anxiety a childhood disorder, with the onset of symptoms developing before the age of 18.

Previous editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) prohibited new diagnoses in adults. However, the 5th edition of the DSM-5-TR removed this criterion.

The American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual for mental health conditions, the DSM-5 defines separation anxiety as when a person has several of the following symptomsTrusted Source:

  • excessive distress before and during separation
  • excessive worry about losing the attachment figure
  • excessive worry about events that may cause separation from the attachment figure
  • reluctance to leave the separation figure
  • persistent and excessive fear of being alone
  • reluctance to sleep away from the attachment figure
  • repeating nightmares about separation
  • recurring physical symptoms during real or anticipated separation

Separation anxiety in adults usually surroundsTrusted Source separation from a spouse, romantic partner, or children. A person may worryTrusted Source that something bad will happen to their loved one while they are separated.

These symptoms can cause significant distress that affects social, occupational, or academic functioning.

On occasion, people may categorizeTrusted Source an adult with separation anxiety disorder as controlling or overprotective. However, their actions are often an adult’s way of expressing their fears relating to separation.

Mental health resources

Visit our dedicated hub for more research-backed information and resources on mental health and well-being.

An adult’s separation anxiety can stem from many life events, such as the loss of an attachment figure. Their anxiety may also have links to another underlying mental health condition.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)Trusted Source states the risk factors can vary for each type of anxiety disorder. However, general risk factors include:

  • exposure to negative or stressful life events
  • a history, or family history, of anxiety or other mental health conditions
  • shyness in childhood
  • feeling distressed or nervous in new situations during childhood

Those with obsessive-compulsive disorder are more likely to experience separation anxiety as an adult, according to a 2015 articleTrusted Source.

Those with separation anxiety often haveTrusted Source other co-existing conditions, such as social phobias, panic disorders, or agoraphobia. Agoraphobia involves fear and anxiety of being in spaces where it may be difficult to escape or receive help.

Other risk factors for separation anxiety, in addition to preexisting mental health conditions, include:

  • childhood adversity, such as the death of a family member
  • history of childhood traumatic events, such as abuse
  • being prone to stress
  • significant life changes, such as moving away from a family or support structure

The lifetime prevalence of social anxiety disorder in adults is 6.6%Trusted Source and about 77% of these cases reported the onset of symptoms in adulthood.

A doctor will diagnose separation anxiety by asking about the symptoms someone is experiencing. A mental health expert will use the criteria, including those in the DSM-5-TR, to make a diagnosis of separation anxiety in adults.

For a diagnosis of separation anxiety, a person must exhibit three or more symptomsTrusted Source that significantly impair day-to-day life for at least 4 weeks.

Doctors may recommendTrusted Source treating separation anxiety through psychotherapy, medication programs, or a combination of both.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is often the first line of treatment for separation anxiety. This therapy aims to help people identify the thoughts and behaviors that worsen their separation anxiety. Parents and caregivers may also learn additional techniques that can reduce their separation anxiety.

Anti-anxiety medication

Doctors may also temporarily prescribe anti-anxiety medications to help a person through their most acute symptoms of separation anxiety. These will typically include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

However, these drugs are not always long-term solutions to the underlying disorder.

A combination of CBT and SSRIs is often most effective in treating separation anxiety.

Support groups

A person may also wish to seek out a support group for those with anxiety and separation anxiety. People who join these groups can gain help with learning techniques for reducing separation-related anxiety.

While adult separation anxiety is not as common as when a child experiences this condition, it is still possible that a person can have separation anxiety as an adult.

The anxiety can be so intense that it is difficult for someone to function in daily life due to fears and worries about separating from another person.

People need to consult a mental health professional if they are unsure if their fears relate to separation.

Through therapy and, in some instances, medications, people can reduce their separation anxiety symptoms.