Research by organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, National Mental Health Association and National Institute of Mental Health have all found that greater academic demands, financial concerns, changes in social life, exposure to new people, ideas and temptations can take a negative toll on the coping abilities of America's young people.
For college freshman, the issue of separation anxiety can be a very real concern.
One of the more common forms of anxiety, separation anxiety can actually occur in people of any age. While separation anxiety can sometimes be a passing phase or be connected with a specific event that once dealt with, no longer produces anxiety, there are also individuals who suffer for longer periods of time with separation anxiety. If you're a college freshman, a major transition will soon be experienced. For four years, you've had a specific schedule you followed, activities you participated in, friends you hung out with, and the daily guidance of your family. However, over the course of the next several weeks, you'll be packing up your belongings, saying goodbye to the day-to-day life you've known and entering a completely new phase. A phase that will likely have you living away from your family and friends for the first time, having to live with a stranger, make new friends, and create your own schedule as no one will particularly care if you get to class on time, get your homework done, get enough sleep, or eat right.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, individuals with separation anxiety disorder tend to come from families that are close-knit. Thus, when suddenly faced with the prospect of spending time away from home (and the person(s) to whom they are attached), a number of anxiety symptoms can be exhibited. Among the most common are:
