I don't think one forgets how to be alone and independent but gets into certain habits. I lived alone for 13 years before I met my husband and we moved in together and married and then, when he'd be away on business, I'd be afraid to go to sleep, etc. I think the anxiety is in there in the first place, from our childhood and we get into the habit of something that lessens it and that is not an addiction or anything but certainly does not help us grow stronger working on our anxiety?

We learn certain things when we are on our own and grow up, etc. and if that is interfered with or supplanted with something else (like a boyfriend/husband :-) then something else is going to be there? I've been married 24 years and lived with my husband 4+ before that but I'm worried about if/when my husband dies, how I'll care for myself, etc. The anxiety doesn't go away, even though it seems to? We just keep working on dealing with ourselves and it or we don't because we don't "need" to at the moment (how I think of it).

Now I think about it; you didn't ever set up an apartment/life by yourself as an adult yet and I did that but now, my husband has set up our money/life style and I am mostly afraid I won't understand it if something happens to him. If I were you I'd get a job and my own money, take some responsibility for finances, etc.