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Lets be honest: the young adult years can be really toughon both individuals and their families.
Honestly, the challenges of this time of time arent talked about nearly enough.
Sometimes a young person finds themselves in a position where its difficult to becomeindependent from their parents.
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What Is Failure to Launch Syndrome?
A 23-year-old college grad who still lives at home.
These are just some examples of young people who might be described as having failure to launch syndrome.
What age does this typically affect?
Young adults aged 18-30, and their families, most often present with these concerns, Frers says.
In many cultures, in fact, this is expected.
For example,economic barrierscan make it challenging for many young people to secure employment or afford housing.
In 2018, 24% of young people aged 22 and under were financially independent from their parents.
Is Failure to Launch a Mental Illness?
Still, its well recognized by many experts.
What Is Failure to Launch Syndrome Most Associated With?
But we shouldnt overgeneralize or point fingers when it comes to failure to launch.
The reasons behind it are complicated and multi-factored, says Dr. Bach.
What are some of those factors and associations?
Children who grew up with anxiety and perfectionism may also have trouble launching as adults.
The fear of failure may hold them back.
This may be especially true if they are allowed to avoid situations where they might experience failure.
Recognizing the Signs
Failure to launch looks different from one person to another.
In a nutshell, it can be super challenging, complicated, and downright frustrating for all involved.
It may be difficult to talk about how you are feeling, and shame and embarrassment are common.
Additionally, individuals may feel unhappy about the burdens placed on them.
They may become frustrated or anxious about their family’s or community’s expectations, Frers says.
Families
The impacts of failure to launch also strongly impact the individuals parents and family.
Resentfulness is also often common on the part of parents.
How Do You ‘Fix’ Failure to Launch Syndrome?
It can feel like an insurmountable problem to tackle.
Therapy
Therapyis one of the most effective ways to manage failure to launch.
Individual therapy is a great place to start for anyone struggling with failure to launch.
You want to set boundaries and encourage independence, but also keep the relationship loving and warm.
We know how challenging this experience can be.
But you are not alone.
So many young adults and their families are going through this same exact thing.
Just acknowledging what is going on is such a positive first step!
Its all about communicating your needs, your boundariesand seeking therapy and counseling when needed.
Lebowitz ER.Family Impairment Associated With Childhood Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.
University of Granada.Overprotecting parents can lead children to develop Peter Pan Syndrome.ScienceDaily.
