When someone is separated from a loved one or taken away from a familiar place for a long time, there is a chance that they might develop severe separation anxiety. This is not just your typical sadness due to being apart, but is much worse. In fact, this particular type of anxiety can be very debilitating not only to a person’s emotional health but to their mental and physical wellbeing as well. If not given proper and immediate medical attention, this condition can gradually grow worse over time.
The possible negative effects of severe separation anxiety are numerous. For starters, there will be a constant sense of depression and sadness, as well as stress and fatigue. There will also be sporadic instances of tremors, nausea and uncontrollable muscle twitching. The body will be more prone to all kinds of sicknesses and infections due to a diminished immune system and sudden weight loss. In the more extreme cases, there will be disturbances in the eyes as well, such as blurred vision and color blindness.
When months go by without proper treatment, the negative effects of severe separation anxiety may reach the brain. Eventually, the person might feel frequent painful headaches and go through rapid mood changes. They will be unable to focus if they are away from familiar people and places. As these symptoms progress, the person’s daily routine will definitely be affected and the will no longer be able to function properly at work and at home. It may even reach a point where psychotic episodes will be experienced. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that all these symptoms will stop if the treatment iis administered too late.
The emotional effects of separation anxiety can also be very detrimental to a person’s overall wellbeing. They may become easily affected by even the slightest changes in emotion and are likely to be incapable of handling stress. Some cases would even require that a person be confined in a hospital just to make sure that they do not hurt themselves or other people.
Who are the Likely Candidates for Separation Anxiety?
Mild cases of separation anxiety can happen to 1 in every 4 people but these are the conditions that usually heal themselves over time. Severe separation anxiety, on the other hand, is a completely different case. This type of anxiety occurs in all types of people, irrespective of age, gender or lifestyle. All these cases are completely treatable as long as treatment is started immediately.
There are some people who are more prone to separation anxiety than others, perhaps due to their upbringing, environment or past trauma. With such cases of chronic separation anxiety, typical symptoms would be dizziness, delayed reactions and slurred speech.
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