When Your Wife Can’t Say Goodbye: Dealing with Adult Separation Anxiety

Goodbyes hurt, even if the separation will only be temporary. But, if your wife panics at the mere thought of your departure, you may want to consider the possibility of adult separation anxiety.

Not only for Children

While the diagnosis of adult separation anxiety has no standardized tools yet, no one can deny the manifestation of its symptoms in adults. It could have developed from childhood or evolved through difficult situations she faced as an adult. Seeking the assistance of a healthcare professional will provide better understanding of her condition.

Not Simply Left Behind

Avoid surprising her by simply announcing that you’ve booked flights and will be arriving at South Bend International Airport. Tell her in advance. You may even get her involved in planning your trip by letting her book the flight or make suggestions about your accommodations.

This helps her emotionally, especially during the beginning stages of your effort to help her deal with separation anxiety. Apart from the confidence boost your trust gives her, it also serves as a reminder that you’ve considered her condition before planning such trips. This will make it easier for the two of you to maintain an open and honest communication regarding the matter.

Not Overcast

Feed her positive thoughts about your trip. Her anxiety sometimes grows out of fantasies about you getting into an accident or leaving her for other people.  Irrational and unlikely as they may be – even to her – it doesn’t stop her from dreading your departure.

Build her optimism and encourage her to look forward to a fun reunion instead. Planning an activity for your reunion could divert her focus from your absence. Doing so simplifies her challenge of staying preoccupied with other activities to keep her mind focused on anything but her anxiety.

Not Bottled Up

Persuade her to write her thoughts in a journal. Writing inspires her to become more mindful of her goals and her emotions. Instead of venting on others, she’ll be able to get a better grip of her situation by analyzing it first through her journals.

Regardless of your patience and understanding, her tendencies to act irrationally may trigger stress and unwanted responses from you. Her effort to keep a journal serves as a peaceful means of releasing her frustrations. In the long run, it benefits your mental and emotional health as well as your relationship.

Adult separation anxiety poses a challenge to your marriage. Nothing about it, however, should suffice to make overcoming it an impossible task.