I often have nightmares that involve the theme of separation. When I anticipate being away from loved ones, I sometimes develop physical symptoms such as a headache, a stomach ache or nausea. I have difficulty establishing my own friends. My decisions have been limited by my need to stay close to home. Factors that contribute to the development of separation anxiety include parental conflict, divorce, abuse or over-protectiveness in childhood.
Parental conflict threatens a child's sense of a secure home environment.
For example, when there is a great deal of conflict, predictable routines such as scheduled mealtimes, bed times, household chores, and joint parent-child activities usually disintegrate. In addition, the threat or reality of one parent leaving or abandoning the child often creates insecurity in the child who may then develop separation anxiety. Abusive behaviour toward a child in which the parent alternates between treating the child well and then mistreating the child, tends to produce clinging behaviour in children. Also, over-protective parents may be another reason for clinging behaviour and later separation anxiety as the person does not develop confidence in his or her ability to assume adult responsibilities. Separation anxiety in early childhood is actually quite normal and usually starts before the age of 18.