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You might be familiar with the term ‘separation anxiety’, understanding it as a condition that more commonly affects children, and even animals. But have you heard it used in relation to parents?

Separation anxiety is common in children aged between six months and three years. It can be an intense, difficult time, but children will typically grow out of it. Separation anxiety in parents, however, is a little misunderstood.

Speak to a new parent and they will likely mention how much they miss their child, how they feel guilty leaving them at nursery or with a babysitter. But in reality, parental separation anxiety is much more than missing your child; it’s feeling like there’s a piece of you missing.

It’s as though your heart is aching.

What is parental separation anxiety?

“Separation anxiety in children and/or animals is when...

Whether it’s waking up to the news of a recent attack, or watching terrifying world events unfold before our eyes or on the phones in our hands, many people are finding it increasingly difficult to process the terrible atrocities that seem to be happening more and more frequently these days.

At best, these incidents affect us indirectly and cause temporary distress, such as anxiety, anger, sadness or empathy. At worst, traumatic incidents can cause lasting effects such as severe anxiety or even PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), which can disrupt our lives to the core.

Whether or not a person was physically near the traumatic event may not matter – the process in the brain is about the same. So it is no surprise that people around the world are having a hard time coping with traumatic events, even if they are...

If you’re a parent, you will no doubt remember what that rush of love felt like when you first set eyes on your child. Chemically, this rush of love is all down to oxytocin, known as the love hormone.

During your little one’s early years, the bond you build is naturally made stronger. Physical touch, interaction and other caring behaviours all intensify this attachment bond and oxytocin production, allowing your child to feel safe and secure. Feeling safe in this way helps babies to learn and develop more easily – because they trust that you are there for them if anything goes wrong.

For some families, however, this bond is either missing or damaged. There are many reasons why this can happen, ranging from abuse and neglect to a parent falling ill and being unable to care for their child. Whatever the reason, in some children this leads to attachment difficulties or even