Common Name(s):
Excessive Worry About Being Apart
Alternative Names & Classifications:
Separation Anxiety Disorder (CLINICAL)
Description
Separation anxiety disorder is characterized by a developmentally inappropriate and extreme distress when facing geographic or physical separation from major attachment figures. While most common in children, it can persist or emerge in adulthood, heavily influenced by overactive amygdala threat-detection pathways. The disorder deeply restricts independent functioning, causing extreme distress for both the patient and their primary caregivers.