Parting from loved ones is part of our lives and everyone has to deal with the death of their near ones or the end of relationships in their lifetime. We all are afraid of abandonment and when finding it imminent, anxiety grips us with the idea of losing someone we care about. It often begins in childhood when a child experiences a traumatic loss or get anxious about their parents going away, even if only for a short time. There are also children who do not sleep without their parents or even let them step out of the room. In childhood, the physical and emotional needs are met by parents and during adulthood, it comes from personal and romantic relationships. Death of a loved one, physical and sexual abuse, end of relationships due to divorce, and infidelity are events that can interrupt assurance at any age.
While some level of reaction is natural when parting is likely but the excessive reaction can be a sign of an underlying mental health condition. Many people exhibit behavior that pushes people to leave them so that they are never shocked by the loss. This kind of behavior is only a defense mechanism to avoid the pain of separation. Continuation of this behavior over time can have unhealthy consequences and can prevent the development of healthy relationships.
Treatment for abandonment issues helps in understanding where the fear originates from and how can you deal with it when you sense the fear rising in anticipation of separation.
