My Experience With Separation Anxiety
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

My Experience With Separation Anxiety

It's never easy to say goodbye.

68
My Experience With Separation Anxiety

Today I said goodbye to my friends as we started our journeys to our destinations for spring break. Tears formed in my eyes as I hugged the ones closest to me goodbye, and I started to break out in tears when I walked back to my dorm unwillingly. I did not want to go. Having to leave has never gotten easier for me. As someone who claimed they like solitude and alone time, it ends up that I'm actually quite terrible at being alone.

When I have to go home, I instantly get emotional. I recently moved away from where I grew up, and I am a nice traveling distance away from any of my friends. I live in a town with a few restaurants, a grocery store, and pretty much nothing else. When I'm here, I'm trapped. I have always had to rely on other people to keep me distracted from my life at home. It's always been tough for me to be at home, but I always knew I could go to a friend's house or they could come to mine. Now I don't really have that option, and it sucks.

Being apart from people has never been easy for me. I always feel like we're going to lose what we have. When my best friend left for 12 days, I was incredibly depressed. It wound up being okay, but it certainly didn't feel like it would be when he was gone. Now he's in Germany for a year, and luckily I have school and other friends to keep me from thinking about how he's not here all of the time. Otherwise, I would be miserable.

Separation has never been a strong suit of mine. I like being able to see the person, and have the capability to accidentally slap them or hug them. It's incredibly hard for me to have to leave them, even if it's for just a week. This is the main reason why I'm terrified to form relationships. I'm so afraid of losing them, and losing what we have. It's happened to me before, so who's to say it won't happen again?

I know this is an incredibly pessimistic way to look at things, but it's like my brain won't let me think otherwise. It refuses to believe things will be ok. It refuses to believe people won't change their minds when they're not with me. It's constantly in insecurity mode, and it causes everything to spiral downhill, and it spirals fast.

It sucks that I can't keep myself company to distract myself. I am in constant desperation to have someone talk to me. Everyone should be capable of independence, but when the anxiety of separation comes into play, you become weak and you let it take over. That's when you know you need to do something to change.

That's how I knew I needed to change. Not for others, but for myself. Having separation anxiety is not enjoyable. I don't do it for the attention. I hate that I'm miserable. I hate that it's the same thing every single time. I hate that I can't control it, but I want to change that. It's all a mind game, and you just have to figure out how to play it.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

96482
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments