Stranger Anxiety in Children- Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Stranger anxiety is an uneasy feeling in a child's mind when meeting someone new — Stranger anxiety is an uneasy feeling in a child’s mind when meeting someone new

One thing that almost every parent experience in their life is their little baby feeling hesitant to get to the relative’s arms. It is very common for babies to feel so. While it may be the wish of every friend or family member of yours to put your child in their arms out of love, the anxious nature of your baby may stop this. Stranger anxiety is the term used for such behavior in a baby that eventually fades away as a child grows. This condition is not born by birth and you will notice it also. But, as soon as your little baby feels an affection for you (parent) which normally occurs when he gets 6 to 8 months old, he can get anxious while you pass your child to someone else’s arm. This thing can become even irritating when you’re busy or when you need some resting time. To clear all your doubts about this strangely normal problem, we have covered every common aspect about stranger anxiety.

What is stranger anxiety?

Stranger anxiety is a fearful feeling in a baby when getting to the arms of someone unfamiliar

Stranger anxiety is the term used for a baby who feels uneasy and fearful when getting to the arms of someone unfamiliar. Stranger anxiety is completely normal in general and is often looked as a milestone in the development of a child. Stranger anxiety is a part of baby’s development stage.

Stranger anxiety typically emerge when a child gets 6 to 8 months old. It’s effect however vanishes out as the child keeps growing and learning about the outer world. A child with stranger anxiety feels internally that their relationship with their parents and caretakers is different from the relationship with other people. This feeling reaches it’s peak when a child is 12 to 15 months old making them feel distressed while around unfamiliar people.

What causes stranger anxiety?

When a child comes in contact with someone unfamiliar, he feels distressed causing stranger anxiety

Stranger anxiety is a common appearing threat that is actually a part of child’s growth process. This anxiety develops when a child reaches the age of around 8 months. The development of a child is actually quite significant during this period. The child learns to identify objects and people. They assume an object permanence making babies believe there’s an object or person even if it’s not. The baby can differentiate familiar and unfamiliar faces.

A child at such age cannot identify where you have gone or when you will come back. He/she will assume you as someone unfamiliar if you are not visible to him/her daily. They get an understanding that the parents and carers are unique people. When they come in contact with someone unfamiliar or get separated from their caretakers, they feel distressed. This distress, however, wipes away as the child keep growing and develops a knowledge about people around. Stranger anxiety in babies lasts normally till 2 years only.

Symptoms of stranger anxiety

Stranger anxiety causes stress in babies that they express in different ways

Stranger anxiety creates a fearful feeling in the mind of a baby or children when they see someone who they do not know. Different babies may show different signs to express their distress since they do not know how to communicate. They may be distressed when around family members or babysitters they do not know. A baby may create anxiety for a person whom they don’t see frequently and express it uniquely.

Freezing in the arms of an unknown is one way to express their anxiety. A baby will give frightening expressions with a still face. The baby may start feeling comfortable in their lap or further show their distress with an obvious option of crying. Some babies show their discomfort by clinging tightly or by hiding their face in your chest. The way they react to such anxiety may depend upon various personality factors like their temperament.

The symptoms of stranger anxiety begins when a baby is around 8 months old and stays till the toddler phase in over which is completed by age of 3. Normally, a toddler learns to feel comfortable around people. But, in rare cases stranger anxiety can last longer making it a matter of concern. Stranger anxiety can make a child socially anxious. Such child feels embarrassed around strangers and experience sudden anxiety rise when exposed to social situations. Such anxiety may last for over 6 months and can make a child avoid social interactions in total.

How to treat stranger anxiety?

Stranger anxiety can be a matter of worries sometimes which can be treated with simple methods

While stranger anxiety is completely normal and is looked as a milestone in a child’s growth process, it may seem to upset parents. The sobbing nature of your baby can actually be frustrating especially when you are busy. Stranger anxiety in babies is at it’s peak when he/she is 12 to 15 months old and vanishes gradually after that period. If you are still worried about such behavior of your little heart, you can use following methods to treat their distress :-

Make your child familiar with the babysitter

If you have appointed a new carer or babysitter for home, it will not be recommended to leave your baby right away. Instead, choose a slower approach to make the baby familiar with the babysitter. Don’t go away right after the babysitter arrives. Call the carer at least an hour earlier. Greet the person so that your baby can think he is someone to trust. Play good activities with the carer with your baby around so that he can feel comfortable. Give the caretaker time to interact with baby while you are there. Slowly leave them alone. And, go out simply with a goodbye kiss, nothing more. Make sure that your baby is not hungry.

Let others know about this anxiety

One thing that may happen that when your friend or relative takes the baby in their lap and the baby starts showing the symptoms of stranger anxiety by crying on in other way, they feel offended or insulted. That’s a usual reaction. One thing you can do right then is to make them understand what stranger anxiety is. Educated them stranger anxiety is a common thing and is a part of a child’s development process. Let them know that this condition fades away after a certain age. Also, tell them the ways such that they can make your child feel comforted.

Let your baby see more faces from an early age

One thing that you can do to make your child feel more comfortable while interacting with unfamiliar faces is to expose them to new people from an early age. Keep in mind that infants may be too early to be exposed to new people, so consult your doctor first. Let them see unknown faces while you are also present. You can find different opportunities to let your baby see more humans. Take them to the park while strolling. Let them observe the human activities going around. Interact with the friends, smile and make your baby get comfortable.

Stay calm and positive

Symptoms of stranger anxiety in a baby are enough to make parents feel anxious also. Their fearful behaviour will make you get stressed and you will be worried and overwhelmed. But, you should stay calm. Instead of yelling, try to please your calm verbally and physically. Say happy songs to them. Play daily games with them with the company of that other person. And, don’t consider this stage a matter of concern. Accept it as a part of child’s development. Remain calm yourself, take a deep breath and don’t get stressed.

These are the few tricks that you can follow to improve your child’s ability to meet strangers. Along these methods, keep these little things in mind:-

Introduce your child with strangers at home first.
Take your baby’s toy or blanket while meeting with new people.
Hold your child’s hand while he is meeting new person.
Don’t push your baby to meet new people if he/she is not ready.
Let your child do some things for himself, like playing with toys.

Stranger anxiety is an overrated threat that should be treated as a part of child’s growth only. It can looks like a serious thing when a baby don’t feel like good while getting to the arms of someone new. This annoying thing goes away with time in most cases. However, if this continues beyond a certain age, it can become a disorder. One thing parents should remember that they should know about their toddler’s anxiety. And, you can also follow the above tips to treat stranger anxiety.

Separation Anxiety in Adults – Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Separation anxiety in adults creates an intense fear for separation

Separation anxiety is a common issue often experienced during the early childhood. A thought of getting away from the parents or caretakers creates an extreme fear in a child but this fear tears out lastly by age of 3. However, in some cases this anxiety continues and can even reach adulthood in rare cases. Separation anxiety in adults results into an intense fear into the mind of the person who is going to experience a separation from any important person in his life. This separation can be from parents, caretakers or even a pet. The separation can make negative consequences in leading a fair work and personal life. This article will let you know about separation anxiety, it’s causes and signs. Some ways to treat it are also discussed. Keep reading to clear all your doubts :-

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety is an extreme fear for separation that in rare cases continue till adulthood

Separation anxiety refers to the extreme feelings of fear and stress in the mind of a person that is triggered when that person is going to experience a separation. While it’s not a separate disorder, the anxiety is linked with agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder. Little kids who are less than 3 years old who have always lived in their parent’s company, feel very worrying while getting out without them like when going to school. This is common. But as a child grows, he learns to enjoy. However, this anxiety continues in some children and leads into child separation anxiety disorder. Children with separation anxiety can think about nothing but their stress of separation. This condition can last longer and stay until adulthood leading to separation anxiety disorder in adults.

What causes separation anxiety in adults?

Separation anxiety in adults is linked with other underlying mental conditions

Separation anxiety in adults makes them extremely fearful about losing contact with their partner, friends, parents and family members. While main reason behind this condition is not clear, it is linked with other underlying mental conditions that a person is suffering from. Usually, a person with generalised anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder and panic disorder can experience symptoms of separation disorder. It is even observed that the daily life stress creates this fear in the mind of an adult. Genetics can also be the reason this anxiety.

Adults normally feel separation from their partner. Separation anxiety in adults is triggered from partner. Excess of emotional stress due to codependency, cultural differences and life stress induce separation anxiety in a relationship.

Symptoms of separation anxiety in adults

Separation anxiety in adults cause an intensive amount of fear for separation even leading to panic attacks

Apart from the feeling of getting away from the loved ones, which is quite common to have, separation anxiety in adults can cause an intensive amount of fear when they get out of reach of their loved ones. Experiencing such separation can boost their anxiety to an other level and it can even lead to panic attacks. The 3 common signs of separation anxiety found in adults are :-

Feeling extremely hesitant and even refusing to leave the nearness of their closed ones.
Anticipating the loss of their loved ones causing them feel distressed even with the thought of a separation from them.
Having a persistent fear running in their mind that the other person will be harmed if they are leaved alone.

Such negative feelings can exacerbate the other side effects of stress. The fear of being alone heightens up in such person. Separation anxiety can also result into a toxic possessiveness in a relationship. Parents due to such condition will always consider harsh parenting techniques with a thought of protecting their children. A partner will be over protective to save the relation. He/she will always want to know where his/her partner is. Since, this problem is related with mental issues like agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder, there symptoms can prevail to make the condition worse. Physical problems are also caused due to it’s symptoms. It normally include stomachache, nausea and headache.

Since panic attack is also associated with separation anxiety, constant feelings about getting away can reach peak in a sudden. Separation anxiety in adults make them to refuse getting away from home or not staying at home alone without a loved one. Repeated nightmares about separation and not falling asleep without a loved one are also noticed in such people. Due to the effect of other problems, constant negative thoughts that something bad will happen strikes the mind.

Risk factors

Separation anxiety is more probable in adults with OCD

Results have shown that people are more likely to have separation anxiety in adulthood if they suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Separation anxiety is an adult often brings other medical conditions like panic disorder and social anxiety. Females are more likely to have separation anxiety. Apart from this, past traumatic event like facing the illness and death of a loved one, parents getting separated or getting abused can contribute to this condition. A sudden life change like a daughter going to college and leaving home can make a person develop it’s symptoms. Environmental issues like facing a disaster causing separation from loved ones can cause this disorder.

How to treat separation anxiety in adults?

Separation anxiety in adults must be treated as soon as it is diagnosed

Separation anxiety is a major mental problem that, if not diagnosed, can become a big issue and hinder an adult in his personal and professional life. While the earlier belief that said that the condition of separation anxiety can last only till a person reach age of 18, it was not considered a noticeable issue.

A diagnosis of this problem is important. For this purpose, the doctor will organize a detailed examination that is based on the criteria specified in DSM-V. It states the different signs of separation anxiety. One is being intensively fearful and anxious about getting separated from the person that is important to you, such fear should be present in the person for more than six months, the symptoms should be worse enough to interfere with your daily functioning and these symptoms are best fitted in this category, not for any other disorder. The doctor will ask a number of questions to know about the truth of the condition. Friends and family members are also contacted to know about the severity of this condition in a person’s life.

As soon as the condition is diagnosed, it is advised to take a treatment without wasting any time. As separation anxiety in adults is also a mental disorder, all the treatment methods used for curing anxiety disorders work well in treating separation anxiety. You just need to test different treatments and stick to what fits you best. Some common methods are :-

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) aims at challenging and changing cognitive behavioral patterns and distortions. The therapy works great in solving this problem by developing coping strategies. With the help of this therapy, you can identify your behaviors and thoughts that triggers anxiety. You will also learn about new plans to lead a more comfortable life. Like, if you keep checking your partner, you will be able to know about good relationship goals and activities.

Seek help of support groups

Support groups have a wonderful job in letting a person lead a better life by reducing the stress within. Support groups can help the persons with anxiety and depression. As such, you can take help of a support group to treat your separation anxiety. Such support groups can provide great learning opportunities to help you avoid stress.

Apart from the two above, any kind of psychotherapy works great in treating separation anxiety in adults. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and family therapy are also two worthy treatments. You can also take anti anxiety medications that may not be the long term solution but can help through acute symptoms of separation anxiety. You should just stick with the best treatment plan to avoid worsening of symptoms. And, as soon as you notice the symptoms of this condition, seek a professional help to prevent the issue getting significant.

Separation anxiety is a common issue in babies before they get ready to experience the world. However, separation anxiety lasts only for a few months and fades away completely by the age of 3. However, in rare adults this condition can still prevail. Having the ability to make a person keep worrying about any moment of separation from their closed ones, many physical problems are also accompanied with it. It can cause a serious implication on their work life. You should seek a professional advice as soon as you come to know about such condition. Just a consistent treatment plan and you will be able to enjoy life to its fullest.

7 things to know when dating someone with anxiety

When dating someone with anxiety, you should know some things

You cannot choose whom you fall in love with. If the person you’re liking is struggling with the anxiety problems, it can become a big issue in your relationship sometimes. Dating someone with anxiety symptoms can be a stressful thing. You may not be able to enjoy activities that you’d like to explore with your partner.

But, that’s not truly the whole thing. You have the right to enjoy with your partner whatever you both like and anxiety shouldn’t come in between. Anxiety can sometimes become a third person in your relationship that you won’t be willing to accept. Your partner having anxiety symptoms doesn’t mean that you have to sabotage the relationship or avoid the partner. Dating someone with anxiety also means that you have an extra opportunity of supporting your partner.

In this article, we discusses the things that you should know while dating someone with anxiety. If you are also worried about the impact of the anxiety in your relationship and how you can support the mental fitness of you both to take your partner out of this condition, keep reading this article below.

Dating someone with anxiety? Is it hard?

Is it hard to date someone with anxiety? The question is usual — Is it to hard to date someone with anxiety? The question is usual

The question must be striking in your mind. Seeing someone suffering the symptoms of anxiety might not be your plan. Watching a person having anxiety signs can make you upset and you may also get anxious with that. Questions about how the life of your partner will affect you, will you be able to cooperate with the challenging lifestyle of your partner and will that relationship goes in the future can disturb you in the present. Even people who experience anxiety problems also doubt their relationship success. In fact, these doubts and questions are more frequent in the one having anxiety.

These questions are understandable and usual to come over. The honest answer is that yes, dating someone with anxiety is harder than normal. The thing that becomes important here is that you should be more critical about self care activities and set aside some time for the relaxation of your mind in any way.

If you are someone who are looking forward to start dating a person suffering with anxiety symptoms, there are a few things that you should have a knowledge about. You may feel like helping when you’re around a person with anxiety, especially if that person is the one you want to date. You will be looking for ways to make them feel better and not criticize their emotions. Here are the 7 things that you should be aware of while dating someone with anxiety :-

Learn about what anxiety is

Research about what anxiety is to empathize deeply with your partner

To be able to accept your partner and to get oriented with what your partner is dealing with, it is first recommended that you should do a basic research about anxiety. Anxiety is not a normal stage that people experience at some point in their life but a harsh beast that can make their life miserable.

There are different types of anxiety disorders induced by different triggers. Anxiety in a person makes him/her avoid certain things. Learn about it from the articles available on the internet and talk with your partner’s friends and relatives. After learning more about anxiety and realizing that it’s more than just a phase, you’ll be able to empathize deeper with your partner.

Learn to talk about anxiety openly with your partner

Try to talk about anxiety openly and honestly with your partner

The questions related to the long term compatibility of your partner and how their condition will affect your social life will make you think anxiety as a taboo subject. That’s why you try to avoid any conversation related to anxiety.

The need here is to be more open about anxiety and talking about it in an open and honest manner. You can simply start such conversation with your partner with some casual chitchat about how they’re feeling. And, if you’re partner is comfortable, you can talk directly about it. The thing that matters is that you should not judge what your partner is feeling. Don’t try to get defensive and just listen their words as a sign to show that you respect their words. Motivate them to speak and don’t take things personally.

Know what triggers their anxiety

Know what triggers anxiety in the person you're dating — Know what triggers anxiety in the person you’re dating

People who deal with the symptoms of anxiety disorder often have certain triggers. These triggers can be anything from people, thing, situation or place. When they come across these triggers, the anxiety levels hike up and their condition gets worse.

You, as a partner has to be careful about such anxiety stimulating triggers. Yeah, it’s not your duty to keep protecting them against these triggers, you should be aware about how they react to these triggers. You can help your partner to cope up with the effect of such anxiety booster and you’ll be able to know about how your partner reacts to different situations.

Motivate your partner to seek assistance

Anxiety can also result to less social interactions. The partner with a anxiety will try to avoid any social interaction. They think that mental illness issues are not readily accepted openly in a normal environment. This mere thought makes your partner resist any medical help.

When dating someone with anxiety, while keeping this thing in mind, help your partner seek help. Let your partner know that they can get better. Meditation and therapy are the best solutions for anxiety. Tell your partner that how their life will get back to normal if they seek a professional help. Be kind with your partner while encouraging them.

Go for couple counseling

Motivate your anxious partner to attend a therapy session

As you encourage your partner to seek for help, you may motivate him/her to attend a therapy session. As therapy is still the best option for fighting against anxiety, you should convince your anxious partner to go for a counselling session with you.

When you both two are not able to solve the problem, seeking the assistance of a third person always helps. A couple therapy session with a psychologist can help you both get things clear. As, sometimes, the reason for anxiety is in the relationship itself, the counsellor will guide you both. He will make you both comfortable with each other and you will be able to learn better communication rules to follow while talking with your anxious partner.

Consider your partner and their anxiety separate

One thing you should know when dating someone with anxiety is that you should treat your partner and their anxiety separately. Yeah, there is a situation when the person feel overwhelmed and doesn’t react the way you thought, but accept it as a part of their anxiety and don’t consider it to be their real nature.

Remember that he/she is still the same person who makes you laugh out loud in different ways, breaks the ice when you both get upset with each other and stands with you when you need him/her. It’s just their anxiety that makes them react that way. Be calm and compassionate with your partner. Your partner will also realize that he/she is more than just anxiety when you consider their anxiety separate with them.

Be clear about the boundaries

One definite thing you should definitely bee clear about is that being patient and accepting their behavior is different letting them do whatever the hell they’re doing. Dating someone with anxiety may make you face some tough situation as a partner but you both should be clear about the boundaries.

There are some extreme situations during anxiety disorders making a person suffer panic attacks and behave bad. But, its not their right to be cruel and abusive with you. You can avoid any resentment in future by setting the limits in advance. If your partner shows such extreme behaviour during an anxiety hike or panic attack, let them know that it’s not acceptable. Tell them that you expect them to improve.

Dating someone with anxiety is hard sometimes. When you come to know about your partner’s condition with a straight disclosure from him/her, it can bring a lot of doubts and questions relating to the partner and the relationship. But, show some trust to your partner and don’t judge. Having anxiety doesn’t mean that the relationship cannot be enjoyed. Just keep in mind the tips described above and you’ll be able to enjoy a great dating life.