Fear Of Growing Up (in Children And Adults): Why Does It Occur And What Are Its Symptoms?
Human beings are constantly growing and developing, and these changes not only occur on a biological level, but also psychologically and socially. As we grow, our environment requires us to behave in a certain way..
Over the years, our physical appearance changes, and so does our mind. We become increasingly independent and responsible as we enter adulthood. Although we generally mature as we get older, some adults remain anchored in the desire to behave like children or adolescents without being able to take responsibility for their actions and adult life. It’s a kind of fear of growing up.
The growth and development of people have always interested psychologists. One of the best-known theories in developmental psychology is that of Erik Erikson, called “Theory of Psychosocial Development.” This author postulates that people go through a series of stages throughout our lives, and in these we have to overcome a series of conflicts that, if overcome successfully, cause us to acquire different life skills.
Growing is evolving, developingprogress and overcome the different stages, that is, not get stuck in any of them. Growing up brings with it new knowledge and learning, although it is also necessary to let go of old habits or behavior as we get older.
Sometimes, people They do not follow a normal progression and are afraid of getting older. The fear of growing up can manifest itself in two ways: with Peter Pan syndrome, more related to psychosocial aspects; or with gerantophobia or gerontophobia, which is the fear of getting older, more related to physical aspects (body image, loss of mobility, etc.).
Peter Pan syndrome refers to those adults who continue to behave like children or adolescents without being able to take responsibility for their actions and adult life. It is usually associated with the fear of facing difficulties alone, of not leaving the comfort zone and waiting for others to solve their problems. Those who present it are very dependent and well-off individuals.
Individuals with this fear of growing up have serious difficulties assuming the roles of adulthoodlike that of a father or that of a professional, and they resist becoming independent. They maintain superficial romantic relationships and do not achieve vital stability.
What are your symptoms
Peter Pan syndrome brings with it different consequences for the person who suffers from it. Generally, these individuals appear to be happy and live life to the fullest; However, they may present high levels of anxiety and sadness. They may also feel unfulfilled with their lives, which affects their self-esteem.
There are different symptoms that warn of the presence of this syndrome linked to the fear of growing up. They are the following:
Causes of Peter Pan syndrome
The causes of Peter Pan syndrome can be varied. The dependent or avoidant personality can cause the development of this condition. The style that the person has to deal with problems, too. Likewise, the educational style that they have received from their family and the excessive protection during their development can cause the individual to not be emotionally strong and, therefore, be more prone to developing this syndrome.
Financial difficulties and the inability to find employment, as well as irrational beliefs and lack of social skills They may be behind this phenomenon.
Fear of growing up in children
While it is clear that some adults may feel a great fear of growing up, in the case of children this is unlikely to happen. In large part, this is because Their degree of reflection is lower and at a social level they do not feel so pressured.
However, in some cases it may occur that children associate adulthood with something negativewhich causes anxiety and terror and causes them to develop a phobia.
The magazine LiveScience echoed the news of a 14-year-old Mexican boy who felt such an intense fear of growing up that he took extreme measures for his growth, such as restricting his food intake and distorting his voice to speak in a higher pitch. The little boy began to suffer from the phobia at 11 years old, and a few years later he was diagnosed with gerontophobia.
What is gerontophobia?
Gerontophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of aging. That is, as years pass and the person suffers a change in appearance, has to depend on others, loses mobility, is moved into a residence or their health worsens. Phobias cause extreme anxiety in the person who suffers from them, so they tend to avoid the feared stimulus, whether it is an object or a situation.
Gerontophobia usually manifests itself in the late 30s, when wrinkles start to appear. Much of the blame for the development of this disorder is the bombardment of information from the media regarding the perfect body image. However, traumatic events are associated with the development of many phobias, and gerontophobia is no exception. The inability to accept that people age is also one of the reasons why this disorder can manifest.
