This is something that i have been doing increasingly over the past few months. My depression has been getting worse [despite medication] and i think this reversion to child like behaviours is linked to that.
In psychology we did a module on mental abnormality and one of the signs of the general symptoms of mental abnormality is this reversion to child like behaviours. i guess that it's better me being aware that i am doing this. i have some insight.
It's not something that i think about doing. It's just in everything i do. The way i speak, my constant need for physical contact and affection [especially from my Mum]. i have developed a very close [and childish] relationship with my plush dinosaur, Othniel as well as my other teddies and such. i guess he's like my security blanket.
i've been suffering a lot with anxiety recently and i think a lot of this has stemmed from that. This is just my way of trying to make myself feel safe.
It's not something that i'm really bothered about. But i think i should probably mention it to either my GP or mental health coordinator. i guess it could be relevant? i don't feel bothered by this but i do worry that maybe i am just a total freak and i just can't see it.
To be honest if it's not bothering you then maybe it' not a big deal... I think most people act cildish from time to time. Although I know it can be a bit embarassing when/if others notice... Has anyone mentioned it to you at all? Probably easier for those with an outside prespective to see if it's that "abnormal" or whatever. It could be that because you learnt about it in psychology that you are over analysing it.
I may be biased though as I act "childish" a LOT lol
If i'm honest when i really think about it it does bother me. It's just that i spend most of my time in that state of mind and while i'm like that i rarely even notice my behaviour. But when i actually think about it i know that there's something not quite right. By childish i don't mean like immature or whatever [just to clarify] i mean like acting like a 3 year old- feeding my teddies, licking people that kind of thing. i do try to refrain from being like that in public but sometimes i can't stop it. It's like compulsive behaviours.
Other people do notice. And they think it's because things have been bad with depression. It's sort of hard to explain. But i definitely think it's something i do subconsciously to feel safe. Because i felt safe and happy when i was little. i think that even more than feeling safe it's an escape from all of this.
I have DID so can understand the childlike behaviour (though luckily for me I can't remember it happening - I just know from what others tell me). It's good that people semi-understand, with these sorts of things people can be quiet nasty. I do think that most people have chldlike moments, but that might be just basaause it's normal for me so I assume it is or others...
Do you feel comfortable speaking to your GP/mental health coordinator? I'm not sure a GP could do much, but your mental health coordinator might have some insight into it
i am thankful that people are nice about it. i feel like a bit of a freak sometimes so i'm glad other people don't see me like that. i do feel quite mentally unstable a lot of the time. i don't know if these childlike behaviours are a result of mental instability or whether they contribute to me feeling that way. But whereas most of the time i'm not particularly bothered by this i do feel that there's something not quite right about it. i guess if i was totally unbothered i wouldn't be posting.
My GP i know really well so i would definitely feel comfortable speaking to her. My mental health coordinator i feel less comfortable with, she's not the most sensitive person, let's say. But i should tell her, that would be the best thing to do. i guess this could be important.
it ould be a reaction to you feeling insecure and sort of wanting someone to take care of you. In which case until those feelings (or whatevers causing those feelings) is addressed not much could be done. But it could be helpful to speak to someone in order to find the route of the feelings and to work out a way to adress them.
Maybe speak to your GP about it first and see what they suggest
i think that there is definitely a strong element of wanting to be taken care of in this. i do feel very insecure and unsafe a lot of the time. i think in someways this is my way of trying to hide from that. And also subconsciously i think it's about getting positive attention and affection. My need for which comes from me feeling insecure.
i will speak to someone about this. i feel sometimes like i'm literally going insane, losing myself.
In psychology we did a module on mental abnormality and one of the signs of the general symptoms of mental abnormality is this reversion to child like behaviours. i guess that it's better me being aware that i am doing this. i have some insight.
It's not something that i think about doing. It's just in everything i do. The way i speak, my constant need for physical contact and affection [especially from my Mum]. i have developed a very close [and childish] relationship with my plush dinosaur, Othniel as well as my other teddies and such. i guess he's like my security blanket.
It's not something that i'm really bothered about. But i think i should probably mention it to either my GP or mental health coordinator. i guess it could be relevant? i don't feel bothered by this but i do worry that maybe i am just a total freak and i just can't see it.
Hey, that thing about the constant need for physical contact and affection is something that I have as well, I crave physical contact and affection because I never get any. So what I try to do is ask for a hug or something from my friends, and a lot of the time I get it. I used to be too shy and too worried about rejection to ask, but now I can just ask. I did psychology last year at AS but dropped it. Anyway I'm guessing you did the study on how childhood experiences can affect you when you are older? Did you have little physical contact when you were younger? Or did you have a lot that has just disappeared?
I think it's certainly worth mentioning it to your GP or mental health co-ordinator, as there is nothing to lose and I'm sure they will be helpful and reassuring.
i get a lot of physical contact and affection from my mum as well as other people. So it's not that i don't get any, it's just never enough. It's not that i didn't have enough physical contact when i was younger, or that i stopped getting it, i just need a lot at the moment.
i'll try and mention it to my mental health care coordinator on Wednesday. i'd rather not, i can't see her being nice about it. But i know it's important.
I see what you mean, I act like this as well, always craving hugs and attention from my boyfriend and snuggling up with teddies for comfort, and the more undesirable aspects, like irrational shyness in unfamiliar situations, fear of strangers, and crying for the most ridiculous reasons, that I'm very ashamed of. I don't know whether for me it's to do with the fact that childhood is the last time I remember being happy. My problems began at the age of 12, so it was all taken away very suddely, so in a way I grew up too quickly, and at the same time didn't. Maybe you feel you have too much responsibility and worry so you use times when you act like a child to escape and be carefree for a while. It would definitely be worth discussing, these are just some of my theories. I wish you all the best with it.
What you wrote definitely reminds me of myself. i spoke to my mental health care coordinator about this. She made me feel very definitely that seeking physical affection is something i should be ashamed of and that other people should discourage it. i don't even know what to think anymore. i've had enough of her. She makes me feel like i'm just such a freak.
This is something I do a lot. I'm in uni, and in my dorm alone, I have 11 stuffed animals. I have a very close relationship (I guess you could say) with my penguin pillow pet named Enya. I even talk to her, ya know? Anyway, I'm also very desperate for physical affection, and while my counselor believes that the occasional want for hugs and stuff isn't bad; my almost constant need is.
Then again, my problems began (aka: my dad died, leaving me with an abusive mom) at 6... so I had to grow up quickly.
If you want, you can PM me, just to rant/vent/ bounce experiences off of
Take care =)
"Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice."-- E.M. Forster
@misskitty112: what you describe sounds very similar to me. Except nothing bad happened to me to trigger this [i'm sorry about your Dad]. But i have a dinosaur called Othniel who i only got a few months ago but i am extremely attached to him. He even comes out with me. i got him just when things were starting to get really bad so i think that's why i'm so close to him. i talk to him all the time and everything [my family do too, it's rubbed off on them!]
Thankyou for being here. It's really good to know that i'm not alone.
I could well have written this topic myself- just exchange your soft toy with Harvey Bear. I think I am about 6 when I say and do things. I too suffer from depression and anxiety, both of which are pretty bad at the moment and I have reverted to being very child like. I keep having this pointed out to me, which is weird, but I have also found that my bf starts to act like that towards me, which is also nice, until he stops suddenly and I feel like he's telling me off.
Well I know I have not offered any help or support whatsoever, but just wanted you to know your not alone.
Hugs *Eats chocolate buttons and skips off*
Roli xx
Here's the day you hoped would never come,
Don't feed me violins, just run with me
through rows of speeding cars.
21 on the run, on the run, on the run
From myself, from myself and everyone
I better leave the light on
The darkness, The sweetness, The sadness, The weakness,
O, I need this
Hi, I'm Roli Take Care, Stay Safe, Shout if you need anything
weepingangel, from what I've read, reverting to childlike behavior doesn't need a trigger, if I'm understanding right? I read it's linked to depression, child abuse, etc etc... I'm just guessing that since my world was turned upside down at 6, that's why I do it... The depression could have a factor too. Also, I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this despite meds. I don't have one set animal that comes out with me. Usually it's one of my penguins, but I have a puppy, a ghost, a snowman, a lion, a few bears... etc. One of them is always with me though. Always.
I pointed out to my roommate last night, that I think I've been reverting back a bit more than usual, cause of the upcoming stress of the holidays and such, and she said "Yeah, you're becoming slightly more of a freak."
"Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice."-- E.M. Forster
It really is great to know that i'm not alone with this.
It does make me feel quite insane. i think because the picture of an insane person in my head involves someone behaving like this. Skipping and crawling around. Holding tight to a soft toy or doll. Talking to themselves [or the soft toy] constantly. Sometimes suddenly screaming, laughing or crying for no apparently. Amongst other things.
i now match that image pretty much completely. i don't mind being insane. It's not something that as few as either positive or negative. It just is part of me.
That's not to say that i want to stay like this. That i don't want to get better. Because this isn't half as fun or cute as it sounds. Just that i refuse completely to be ashamed.
@misskitty112: what you describe sounds very similar to me. Except nothing bad happened to me to trigger this [i'm sorry about your Dad]. But i have a dinosaur called Othniel who i only got a few months ago but i am extremely attached to him. He even comes out with me. i got him just when things were starting to get really bad so i think that's why i'm so close to him. i talk to him all the time and everything [my family do too, it's rubbed off on them!]
Thankyou for being here. It's really good to know that i'm not alone.
I can certainly relate to a lot of this thread, though not to the same degree.
I have several stuffed animals that I am very close to and sleep with every night, one being a sleeping wolf I got as a child, named Wolfie, another being a Moose called Frederick, and an Otter called Clara.
Thankyou. It is really good to know that i'm not alone with this.
My brother said that i was weird yesterday. He didn't mean it unkindly, he's not like that at all. But i think he was a bit embarrassed by me. Which i can understand. It's still a little hurtful though.
i'm definitely worse coming up to Christmas. Not in a bad way. Just that Christmas is a perfect excuse to act childishly! i love it.
Oh and here's a photo of Othniel if anyone was interested. It's not the best picture but never mind.
Oh my gosh, he is super cute. I sort of want my own Othniel-relative now! Sadly you're in the UK and I bet we don't have dinosaurs quite like your Othniel here.. however I bet you don't have moose quite like my Frederick over there either..
This made me smile. Thankyou. ["Hello Frederick! Othniel says hi too"]
Last night things were really bad with hallucinating and such. And so today i am much worse with being childish. i have a little dragon who i take out with me [because Othniel's a bit big] and i played with and talked to him a lot on the train amongst other stuff.
There definitely is a link for me between childish behaviours and feeling bad.
Take Care, Stay Safe, Shout if you need anything
