One of our most popular member posts was written by a fellow named Joseph who wrote in to Anxiety Connection to ask for help and support for what he deemed as “adult separation anxiety.” Joseph’s inquiry elicited 42 responses from other members who were experiencing the same thing and wanted to know more about this type of anxiety. Some talked about having heard about childhood separation anxiety but not when once reaches adulthood. Hopefully my post will shed some light on this difficult to deal with adult disorder.
What is Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder?
Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder or ASAD has been unrecognized as a diagnostic mental disorder until the late 1990’s. The symptoms of ASAD are very similar to childhood separation anxiety and may include:
• Extreme anxiety and fear when separated from major attachment figures. This anxiety may manifest in the form of full blown panic attacks.
• Avoidance of being alone.
• Fears that something bad will happen to their loved ones.
An example of how Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder may manifest is through the story of “Stacey” who was successfully treated by one of the lead researchers of this disorder, Dr. Katherine Shear, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University.
“Stacy (not her real name) was an accomplished professional woman in her 30s. But she couldn't stand not knowing exactly where her husband was, or being away from him for long. She disliked golf, but accompanied him to every weekend game. It got so bad that if she couldn't immediately contact him at work, she would leave her own office to find him, even though she knew she was behaving irrationally. She just couldn't bear being out of touch.”
Some have described such feelings as almost like an addiction but to a person. Whereas children may feel anxiety over a parent or caregiver leaving, the adult with separation anxiety disorder may feel extreme fear and distress when their romantic partner is out of sight.
Who develops ASAD?
One would think that adults with a history of childhood separation anxiety might continue on as adults with this same issue. In about a third of childhood cases this is true. But the majority (77.5%) of respondents classified as having adult separation anxiety disorder will experience their first symptoms as an adult.
Another surprising discovery reported by Psychiatric News is that the adult version of separation anxiety disorder is more prevalent than the childhood kind. Approximately 7% of adults may be afflicted with separation anxiety in the U.S. as compared with only about 4% of children.
The profile of the adult who has ASAD is an individual who may have multiple co-morbid mental health issues. The majority of people suffering from ASAD will present with some other psychiatric disorder. Some of the anxiety related co-morbid disorders to adult separation anxiety disorder include panic disorder, agoraphobia, and social anxiety disorder. People having ASAD are also at more risk for having depression and/or a substance abuse problem.
