PETER PAN SYNDROME: SYMPTOMS, CAUSES, TREATMENTS - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The Peter Pan syndrome is a cluster of symptoms associated with adulthood, first described by the psychoanalyst Dan Kiley in a book of the same name published in 1983. Those who suffer are struggling to "grow" or behave in ways that they would typically be expected of a person past adolescence.

Before writing his famous book, Dr. Kiley observed that many of the adolescents and young people he treated in his practice had problems accepting the responsibilities of the adult world, which brought them all kinds of difficulties. Thus, he saw a parallel between his clients and the fictional character Peter Pan, from whom he got the name for the new syndrome.

Source: pexels.com

It should be noted that Peter Pan syndrome is not recognized by the main psychology associations of the world as a true mental disorder. Thus, for example, it does not appear in the DSM-V or in any of the previous editions of this manual. However, the term has become well known in popular culture.

According to the author of the term, and the little research that has been done in this regard, the people who most commonly present with Peter Pan syndrome are young men, between 20 and 35 years old. Next we will see what exactly this condition consists of, why it occurs and what can be done to counteract it.

Symptoms

Although there is no official description of Peter Pan syndrome by any official entity of psychologists, compilations have been created of the most common symptoms that people who suffer from it have. Next we will see which are the most common.

Difficulty acting when unmotivated

One of the main indications that a person may be suffering from Peter Pan syndrome is the belief that work is something that has to be carried out only in the presence of strong motivation. Thus, affected individuals find it difficult to achieve what they set out to do because they "don't feel like it" or "don't feel the right way."

The problem is that due to the way adult life responsibilities work, this approach often brings problems of all kinds. Thus, people with this syndrome generally find it difficult to stay in a job, they have difficulties creating mature relationships, and in general they spend a lot of time on activities that are pleasant but that are not going to help them improve their situation.

Hedonism

As children and adolescents tend to do, adults with Peter Pan syndrome are overly concerned with their own immediate pleasure. This is because they struggle with a skill known in psychology as "postpone gratification."

Many of the most important aspects of life require letting go of immediate pleasure in order to achieve greater reward in the future. For example, maintaining good health means avoiding overeating of sweets in order to maintain a long-term functional body.

People with this syndrome, however, place so much importance on pleasure in the present that they are often not able to let go of momentary well-being to obtain greater rewards in the future.

Inability to recognize own responsibility

As we will see later, people with Peter Pan syndrome often have all kinds of problems in their daily lives. However, due to their mindset, they generally do not realize how their own actions affect what happens to them. On the contrary, they believe that their difficulties are due exclusively to external factors.

Thus, for example, an individual affected by this condition who cannot find work will blame the economy, the injustice that exists in society, or not having received a good education from their parents; But it will never occur to you to take action to fix the problem.

Presence of grandiose or unattainable dreams

Interestingly, many of the people with Peter Pan syndrome express having goals or dreams that are very difficult to achieve, that motivate them and that they would love to achieve.

For example, it is not uncommon for these individuals to claim they want to own their own successful business, become movie or music stars, or have enough money to travel the world without worry.

At the same time, however, those affected by this condition are often unable to take the long-term action that could lead them to fulfill their dreams. In this way, their grandiose goals are usually not met, and their lives become increasingly chaotic.

Addiction

The mixture of hedonism, frustration, and inability to take responsibility causes that in many cases people with Peter Pan syndrome end up developing some type of addiction. The most common are those related to alcohol or drugs, but there are many others.

For example, many of those affected by this syndrome have addictions to pornography, video games, social networks, casual sex or junk food. In general, anything that produces immediate pleasure in a simple way can become an addiction.

Inability to improve

The aforementioned symptoms, by themselves, tend to cause great difficulties for people with Peter Pan syndrome. However, this condition is aggravated because individuals with this disorder are often unable to improve or consider that they are doing something incorrectly.

Because they tend to blame others, society, or the world around them, people with Peter Pan are unaware that changing their actions could also improve their situation.

For this reason, it is common for your problems to repeat themselves over and over again over the years, without seeming to come a time when they will finally be solved.

Others

Other symptoms include:

• Emotional outbursts or affective blunting.
• Anger to the point of going into a rage.
• Happiness that turns into extreme panic.
• Frustration leading to self-pity and depression.
• Difficulty expressing feelings of love.
• Difficulty relaxing.
• Emotional dependence.
• Manipulative tendencies.
• Tendency to the law of least effort.
• Tendency to emit negative behaviors to attract the attention of others.
• Idealization of romantic couples.
• Immaturity and impulsiveness.

Causes

There does not appear to be an exact cause of Peter Pan syndrome. On the contrary, there are many factors that come together to create this condition. Some of them seem to have to do with genetics and personality, and others are more related to the environment and the teachings received during the first years of life.

On the one hand, it seems that there is a certain predisposition in some people to avoid responsibility and effort. This can be seen in the differences that exist in a personality trait known simply as "responsibility," which is part of most accepted psychological models today.

On the other hand, childhood experiences also seem to play an important role in the appearance of this syndrome. According to the few studies carried out in this regard, both children who have not received adequate care and those who have been excessively protected are more likely to develop these symptoms.

In addition to this, some experts believe that the great economic difficulties experienced by many young people in today's world, the general social unrest in many developed countries, the difficulty in maintaining stable relationships and the presence of new very attractive distractions make the appearance of the problem more likely. Peter Pan syndrome.

Consequences

Despite having an apparently friendly name, the truth is that this syndrome causes a series of extremely negative consequences in the lives of people who suffer from it. These affect all aspects of your existence, from your personal relationships to your work and your state of mind.

In general, the inability of people with Peter Pan syndrome to push themselves when something is difficult or unpleasant means that they struggle to achieve many of the typical achievements of adult life. It is common, for example, that these individuals are unable to have a stable job, or form a lasting or healthy relationship.

In addition, the health of people with Peter Pan syndrome is usually deteriorated, since it is especially difficult for them to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly. On the other hand, the habitual presence of addictions can end up making this problem even worse.

In the long term, all these consequences can end up causing very serious difficulties for the person with this syndrome. Disorders such as depression and anxiety are very common among patients with this problem; and economic hardship, social isolation, and poor health are practically guaranteed if not addressed.

Treatments

Because each case is unique, there is no single established treatment for Peter Pan syndrome. On the contrary, a therapist who goes to work with a person with these symptoms will have to study their specific characteristics, the underlying causes of the problem., and the main consequences it has had in his life.

However, there are some common guidelines in treating this problem. The most important thing for a person to solve Peter Pan syndrome is that they be able to change their mentality, until they achieve a more useful one for the development of an adult and functional life.

Thus, it is common for therapy to work on aspects such as managing one's own emotions, personal responsibility, the ability to postpone gratification, the pursuit of goals, or the establishment of important values ​​for the individual. Additionally, habit formation and working with limiting beliefs can be very helpful in this process.

References

1. "The Peter Pan Syndrome" in: Psychology Today. Retrieved on: September 27, 2019 from Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com.
2. "Peter Pan Syndrome: The Science Behind It, What It Is & How To Treat It" in: Better Help. Retrieved on: September 27, 2019 from Better Help: betterhelp.com.
3. "Peter Pan Syndrome: When Adults Refuse to Grow Up" in: Good Therapy. Retrieved on: September 27, 2019 from Good Therapy: goodtherapy.org.
4. "7 Signs Your Man Suffers From Peter Pan Syndrome" in: A Conscious Rethink. Retrieved on: September 27, 2019 from A Conscious Rethink: aconsciousrethink.com.
5. "Peter Pan Syndrome" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: September 27, 2019 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.