{"id":13081,"date":"2019-11-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/family-empty-nest-syndrome\/"},"modified":"2019-11-26T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T00:00:00","slug":"family-empty-nest-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/family-empty-nest-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Empty Nest Syndrome? A Family Therapist Explains Symptoms and How to Cope"},"content":{"rendered":"
It’s basically the natural order of things: If you have children, you typically then raise them until they’re able to go through the world on their own (or, you know, until they hit 18 and move away to college).<\/p>\n
It’s hard work, spending nearly two decades (and sometimes more) teaching them right from wrong—but many parents find that the hardest part of mother or fatherhood actually occurs when their children grow up and fly the coop, so to say, leaving parents with the often-dreaded “empty nest syndrome.”<\/p>\n
But what exactly is empty nest syndrome—and is it truly something that’s easily diagnosed; or is it truly just about learning to adjust to a new situation? Health<\/i> spoke to mental health experts to find out more about empty nest syndrome, and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n RELATED: I'm a Mom and a Child Psychologist: This Is the Behavior I Actually Worry About<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n “Empty nest syndrome is that feeling of emptiness, anxiety and loss that fills you after your children leave your home and make their way out in the world,” family therapist Paul Hokemeyer, PhD, tells Health<\/i>.<\/p>\n In clinical terms, it would be diagnosed as something called an “adjustment disorder,” falling into the same class as other life transitions such as the loss of a job, a divorce, the loss of a parent or a move to a new city. “The underlying feature of these events is the profound impact they have on our identity and ability to fall grounded in the familiar,” says Dr. Hokemeyer.<\/p>\n According to Dr. Hokemeyer, the symptoms are those typically associated with anxiety and depression. They include the following:<\/p>\n “As parents we want our children to launch into the world,” says Dr. Hokemeyer. “For years we've poured our hearts and souls in their departure and have often fantasized about the freedom and opportunities we'd enjoy when we had only ourselves to attend to.”<\/p>\n But when the time comes for them to actually leave, many parents find themselves plagued by overwhelming sadness, fear and a deep sense of loss.<\/p>\n “Our children are hard wired into our brains. We live and breathe them. They come from us and remain with us forever,” says Dr. Hokemeyer. However, when they leave the home, many parents find that their neurophysiology has a strong reaction that gets played out in their unconscious and dream life.<\/p>\n Because many parents never feel like they have done enough, Dr. Hokemeyer explains that the void left behind by a child can exacerbate these feelings.<\/p>\n Raising kids can be tough on a marriage. After the children are out of the house, Dr. Hokemeyer explains that many couples find that in the years they've devoted to raising their children they've grown apart. “This of course is natural as the physical, emotional and financial demands of child rearing are extraordinary,” he explains.<\/p>\n The empty nest syndrome is painful, and it involves feeling uncomfortable and ungrounded for a while—several years in fact, according to Dr. Hokemeyer. To manage this discomfort, parents often find themselves reaching for outside things to self soothe and fill the hole their child left behind. The most common of these substances are food, material goods, and mind-altering substances like alcohol and drugs.<\/p>\nWhat is empty nest syndrome? <\/h2>\n
What are the symptoms of empty nest syndrome? <\/h2>\n
Conflicted feelings of excitement and loss <\/h3>\n
Interrupted sleep patterns and nightmares <\/h3>\n
Guilt <\/h3>\n
Marital conflict <\/h3>\n
Self-medication with food, alcohol, drugs, and\/or shopping <\/h3>\n