Separation Anxiety and Separation Anxiety Disorder, also known as SAD, are an acute distress that first occurs in children beginning in the first six to eight months of life (Weiten, 2005). Usually a parent will begin to notice changes in their infant when a usually confident child will show signs of distress when separated from an attachment figure, such as their mother or caregiver (Oltmanns, & Emery, 2010). Normal separation anxiety will exhibit crying and clinging if an attachment figure even leaves for a brief moment, but this anxiety usually peaks around fourteen to eighteen months of age, and then will decline (Weiten, 2005). However, SAD is a "persistent and excessive worry," where symptoms have a much great range, which include "worry for the safety of an attachment figure, fears of getting lost or being kidnapped, nightmares with separation themes, and refusal to be alone." (Oltmanns, & Emery, 2010) Other...
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