In my work as an Animal Communicator, I often work with animals that suffer from separation upset. The feelings and behaviours associated with being separated are so wide and varied that each time I have tuned into the animals and the flower essences, the number contained in the INDEPENDENCE BLEND has grown to 44. Of course, my logical mind tried to tell me that this just couldnât be the case but as much as I tried to resist it, there needed to be all 44 of the flower essences in the INDEPENDENCE BLEND.
We separate animals from their mothers at a very early age and usually way before they are ready. There are also, too, the mothers that reject their young as well as the baby animals whose mothers are killed or die. We, too, separate human babies from their mothers when we cut the umbilical cord. In both animals and humans, this can cause trauma that is carried for the years ahead.
One of the most observed behaviours is where the animal becomes anxious and stressed when left by their human and may exhibit a needy, co-dependent and clingy-type behaviour when you return home. This can even occur if the animal has other animals around them, as it is the human that they are craving attention from and it may also be the female that the animal is craving more of the attention from. There is a need to replace the loss of the mother/feminine energy that the animal (or human) may not have received when young. We mostly associate separation anxiety with the feelings of anxiety and stress, but this can also escalate to feelings of panic, terror, fear, anger and manipulation, as well as feeling like it is too much and they canât cope at all. The behaviours associated with this can be anything from barking and crying, to jumping through glass windows. I have worked with dogs who have jumped through glass windows, torn front doors apart and broken through solid fencing in an effort to find their human. They are in such a state of panic and terror that their bodies become flooded with adrenaline which fuels the out of control behaviour. I have worked with animals who have destroyed the insides of homes when left by their humans. This has not only been structural damage to the home but urinating and defecating in every room and piece of furniture in the house.
"I have worked with dogs who have jumped through glass windows, torn front doors apart and broken through solid fencing in an effort to find their human."
When I tune into the animals and feel into what they are feeling during the times of separation, there are so many different feelings and emotions that I knew I had to address them all in order for the INDEPENDENCE BLEND to help heal the trauma they were feeling. As well as the obvious ones (being anxiety, stress, panic, terror, and anger) there may also be grief and sadness or even despair and pining for some of the animals. Many rescue animals have had a number of homes prior, or in many cases have been separated from their mum well before they were ready. Isolation, loneliness, rejection and abandonment are also common feelings that animals feel during times of separation. Even in the most well-meaning cases, many animals were simply not ready to leave mumâs side but of course we as humans think we know best in deciding when the time is right, rather than actually tuning into each individual animal and assessing what might be the best time for them. What may be the right time for one animal does not mean it is the same for a sibling. Just like humans, animals are individual in personality and will have differing needs and personalities to their siblings. The loss of connection to the mother can often be a trigger for separation behaviour.
There can also be the feelings of confusion, chaos and overwhelm for some animals when they are separated from their humans. Many go from being in a family unit with mum (and possibly dad as well) and their siblings to arriving into a new home and then left alone all day while their human goes to work. Shock can also set in and it is not uncommon for some animals to form addictive, out-of-control behaviours to try and cope with any or all of these feelings. As I communicate telepathically (which is âfeeling across a distanceâ) with the animals, it is somewhat of a barrage of feelings and emotions that I receive when working with this behaviour. It is very common that the animal feels sick to the stomach and so some animals in their attempt to stop this out-of-control feeling will ingest anything they can to fill the stomach to try and make the feeling go away. I have consulted with animals who have eaten socks, wood, and bedding just to name a few things.
One thing that struck me when working with many animals that have suffered from separation upset over the years, is that often the animals are âmirroringâ aspects of their humans. When I listen to the humans speak, they will often talk about how things are out of their control and how awful things have happened to them at an early age. It is not uncommon for me to voice an animalâs story only to have their human say that they, too, have a similar story.
Another side of separation upset that often goes undiagnosed is the animal that becomes angry and demanding as a result of being separated. This can be shown in quite manipulative behaviour that can often be misunderstood. I remember working with a lady who contacted me saying that her dog suffered from extreme anxiety when left alone, but that everything she had tried to address the anxiety had failed to make any change to her dogâs behaviour. Every time she left her home, it would pull her bed apart. She described her bedroom as her oasis and place of rest and calm. She had a bed that had many, many cushions and pillows which was part of what made her bedroom special to her. When I tuned into her dog, he was laughing. He showed me exactly how he would âthrowâ each and every pillow from her bed and then pull the bedding apart. He would do this until the bed was ruined and then go and sleep on his bed. No other part of the house was touched. There was no anxiety, but instead an anger and frustration at being left alone all day - and he knew that the one way to get back at his human was to mess up the thing that she described as her 'special place'. Remember, animals tune into us telepathically all the time, so he knew the feeling she had when making her bed each day and knew exactly what to do to show how angry he was. He had such satisfaction knowing what he had done, he could then sleep soundly afterwards! Having said that, he was of course feeling his separation in quite a different way, but feeling it nonetheless. Such behaviours arising from anger and manipulation are inappropriate and also need to be addressed.
(Above) Seaberry Saltbush Essence, which is in many of my blends and also available as a single flower essence.
Image © Kerrie Searle
When I sit with all the stories I have heard over the years working as an Animal Communicator (from animals and humans), and the making of the INDEPENDENCE BLEND, I have realised that much of what I feel into is also a mirror of my own trauma and journey. I am constantly triggered by my clients. This blend has been a big part of my own healing journey, working through probably all the feelings and emotions listed above. Experiencing so much trauma in my life ultimately saw me being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression and experiencing the feelings and emotions listed above on a daily basis. I was heavily medicated and in and out of hospital and told that this would be the best I could hope for. For me, anti-depressants made me worse to the point that the medical professionals all agreed that they were not working for me at all, and that ECT (electric shock treatment) was all that was left. Fortunately, I was able to say no to this treatment and discovered flower essences shortly after.
The INDEPENDENCE BLEND has been one of the blends that I have used alongside the BRAIN BLEND to help heal the layers of trauma that western medicine simply could not. It is also a blend that was inspired not only by my own needs, but also those of Daisy (one of my dogs) who had extremely high levels of separation-upset when she first came to me. She would behave as the abandoned puppy who craved the attention of her mother that she was separated from at a very early age. She would âviewâ the world from the traumatised puppy, and react as though she was still that puppy. I am happy to report that she is now a different dog and can happily be on her own without the debilitating feelings she used to have. To me, itâs a bit like the metaphorical onion where I have gently over time 'peeled away' the layers of trauma that I have carried for many, many years - finding a place of independence, confidence, stability, reassurance and safety.
If any of this resonates for you or your animal, and you feel that I can be of any assistance, please donât hesitate to read more about my services here, browse through my range of essences and creams, or you can get in touch directly here. Additionally, visit this page to learn more about attending one of my upcoming workshops.
Warmest wishes!
Kerrie Searle
Animal Communicator
Note: This article was originally written for my email newsletter - Messages from the Animals - you can receive new articles directly via email, by signing up free here.