“Eternal childhood” – a phenomenon of psychological infantilism

The genital form is manifested by anatomical and histological underdevelopment of the genital organs, while ovarian function is reduced. However, in this case there are also signs of general infantilism. Developmental deviations, as a rule, begin in adolescence, but the disease itself in males is usually diagnosed at 15 years of age. In women, this pathology is often discovered by chance, most often during infertility or miscarriages.

Causes

A lack of hormones can appear as a result of pathology of the endocrine organs (pituitary gland, gonads, thyroid gland), but is more often caused by a violation of the hypothalamic regulation of endocrine functions. In addition, the causes of infantilism are associated with chronic intoxication, abnormalities in the functioning of endocrine organs, chronic diseases, hypovitaminosis in childhood or adolescence. In women, the disease can occur as a result of delayed ovarian development and insufficient function. Illnesses suffered in childhood, even if they are not too severe, can leave a negative mark on the development of a girl’s body.

In addition, the pathological course of pregnancy in the expectant mother, as well as extragenital diseases, contribute to the development of the disease in the child. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude the negative impact of all kinds of unfavorable factors on the fetus in the first months of intrauterine development.

Ways to overcome immaturity for an adult

There are not many self-critical people among infantiles. But if an immature person realizes that something is wrong with him, this is commendable. You can start the path to an adult and responsible life with the following steps.

Make independent decisions

There is no need to wait for your mom or spouse to approve your plans. Make your own choice, trying to correctly assess the possible benefits and potential risks.

Physically separate from parents

Many people believe that if finances are tight, then living with your parents at 30 is normal. We hasten to disappoint you: this is by no means true. Starting to live your own life means taking a step into the unknown. But those young people who still decide to make changes do not regret the money spent.

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Having moved away from their parents, they begin to understand: financial well-being depends only on themselves. And they often make better career decisions than those who continue to live in their parents’ nest for decades.

Arrange your life to your liking

Hearing your own desires and following them is not as simple a task as it seems at first glance. Infants have a weak psyche, often filled with introjects - ideas once learned from other people.

For example, a child often hears from a school teacher that it is impossible to earn a lot in an honest way. In adulthood, he may forget about these words, but the idea itself (introject) will continue to exist in his unconscious.

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Separating introjects from personal desires often requires regular and high-quality psychotherapy. But it’s quite possible to do something yourself. You can start listening to yourself in small things: what movie would you like to watch? What would you like to choose for dinner - sushi or noodles? Then you can move on to more serious and fateful decisions.

Learn to stand your ground

Not only capricious young ladies or young men, but also quiet modest ones are infantiles. Such people are a real “gold mine” for employers. They will not say a word against you, even if they are asked for the tenth time to stay late at work without additional pay.

Slack at work

You should not assume that only people of narrow minds argue. This is actually true - but only when it comes to unimportant things. When it comes to your life and personal comfort, insisting on your own means demonstrating a mature position.

The “inner child” lives in every adult; and manifestations of infantilism can also occur in quite mature and respectable people. But in any case, it is important not to succumb to the influence of childishness, feeling like a constantly dissatisfied and disappointed child. After all, the quality of our life, as well as the ability to be psychologically mature, is always in our hands.

Clinical picture

Symptoms of infantilism in women often combine both a lack of development of the genital organs and a delay in the development of other systems in the body. Short stature and fragile build, with a narrow pelvis and thin skeletal bones - this is how the patient usually looks. At the same time, the mammary glands are not developed, female-type hair growth is weakly expressed. The function of the genital organs is also insufficient: there are menstrual irregularities, menstrual discharge is scanty, and is often accompanied by headache, nausea and vomiting. In advanced cases, there is no menstruation. Sexual desire is reduced or absent. In some patients, partial infantilism is observed, in which the patient has a normal physique, there are no mental abnormalities, but there is underdevelopment of the genital organs, and there is often a functional deficiency.

Men suffer from this disease much less frequently than representatives of the opposite sex. With this pathology in men, the appearance and sexual development do not correspond to their true age. Often secondary sexual characteristics are insufficient, the genitals are also underdeveloped, which causes patients many psychological problems. Characterized by a lack of sexual desire, spontaneous erections, and nocturnal ejaculation. However, it is worth noting that in some men the genital organs are formed without deviations; infantilism in this case is the result of mental underdevelopment. Such patients have difficulty communicating with women.

Symptoms of infantility

There are different forms, signs, and behavioral reactions that indicate psychological infantility.

Man having fun

Young people do not want and are not ready to take responsibility either for their own or for the lives of others. They avoid situations where they are under pressure; They avoid making decisions and blame their problems on others. Other signs of infantilism are:

• Inability to arrange life . They are not able to cook, wash or clean the house - it’s boring. It’s better to pay than to do it yourself (yourself).
• Manifestations of egocentrism . If their wishes and requests are not realized immediately, they may throw a tantrum. But the infant himself is in no hurry to carry out any instructions.
• The desire for a beautiful life , but the unwillingness to make efforts to achieve it. A person wants pleasure at someone else's expense.
• Dreams that someone “strong and influential” will appear and solve all problems . Surprisingly, even at 40, 50 and older, infantiles are still waiting for the “wizard in the blue helicopter.”
• Fears related to the sexual sphere . The infantile often looks either like a child or like an asexual creature. He is afraid to express his own sexuality; often avoids relationships with the opposite sex.
• Accusations against parents, bosses, government . Anyone is to blame for the infantile’s troubles, but not himself.
• Unjustified cruelty , lack of mercy, compassion for people and all living things.
• The desire to escape from the real world into an illusion : alcohol abuse, watching TV series around the clock or immersing yourself in computer games. In the real world, a person does not achieve anything and does not strive for it; in the virtual, he easily becomes majestic and “cool.”
• Focusing on the external form of things rather than on their content. The infantile, first of all, sees not a person’s professional achievements, but the material component of his life: how expensive his car is, how attractive his wife is, how big his house is, and so on.

Such people are comparable to one-day butterflies, since they have no desire to improve. If the infant finds himself in a difficult situation, he becomes disoriented and becomes depressed. And then he looks for a person who would (preferably for free) solve all his problems for him. The skill of making independent decisions is not developed; and this pattern is repeated time after time.

Complications of infantilism

• With infantility, the likelihood of conception is quite low. Often such women suffer from infertility or frequent spontaneous miscarriages. There is a high risk of developing an ectopic pregnancy. But, if you still manage to carry the baby to term, then labor is likely to be weak and bleeding is possible. In addition, women with this disease are at risk for developing malignant tumors in the genital organs.
• In men, the disease can manifest itself in weakened potency, the number of sperm in the semen is insufficient. Often patients with this diagnosis are infertile.

Psychological fusion with the parental family

The cause of infantilization of young people is often incomplete separation from their parents. This term refers to separation from a loved one with whom a person was in psychological fusion.

Most often it is about the mother. If a growing child separates from his parents, personality formation occurs. He gradually begins to take independent actions and takes decisions upon himself.

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If the separation is completed successfully, the young man gains self-sufficiency and becomes an adult. “The child grew up, but the parents didn’t even notice.” This can be said today in relation to young people in our country.

After all, there are many conditions that prevent separation from being completed. Low incomes, difficulties in finding employment, uncertainty - all this hinders development. Children reach adulthood but remain dependent on their parents.

In some families, the child is the “center of the universe,” and all other relatives revolve around him, like planets around a star. But the time comes to release the child from its native nest.

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For example, to go to study in another city or perform military service. For the sake of work, after all. The whole family is acutely experiencing this moment. A “syndrome of a nest from which the matured chick has flown away” occurs.

Modern culture does not have traditions that initiate the acquisition of a new status in society. There are often situations when the mother continues to interfere in the life of an already married “child”; or the father of an adult woman dictates to her how to dress and who to date.

Diagnostics

• When diagnosing infantilism, attention should be paid to anthropometric data. According to statistics, in 35% of patients, low indicators of physical development indicate a lack of sexual development.
• When performing functional diagnostic tests, an anovulatory cycle is detected. Gonadotropin excretion is increased, but sex steroid levels are decreased.
• The diagnosis can be made after an ultrasound, during which it is possible to determine the size of the uterus, the length of the cervix, etc. However, to plan treatment, it is necessary to perform a number of studies: x-ray hysterography, probing of the uterus, and, if necessary, laparoscopy

Social consciousness

In many ways, public opinion itself influences the processes of infantilization. Imagine for a second being introduced to a 16-year-old person. What will your attitude be? Will you regard him as a child or as an adult? Or neither?

Modern teenager

Not so long ago - back in the era of Shakespeare - people were already getting married at the age of 14. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin called his heroine of the story “Blizzard” middle-aged. The problem is that “she was in her 20s.” The age of the old woman-pawnbroker from “Crime and Punishment” by F. M. Dostoevsky was 42 years old.

For many centuries, the duration of human life was about 20-35 years. Only at the dawn of the twentieth century did the average duration increase to 50 years. Food has become better; medicine has reached another level.

All this does not mean that there were no infantiles before. Undoubtedly they were; but due to the fact that they died even earlier, we know nothing about them.

How to treat infantilism

The goal of therapy is to increase the sensitivity of the genital organs to the action of hormones, eliminate the cause of the pathology, as well as prescribe replacement therapy. However, before proceeding with the treatment of infantilism, it is necessary to exclude false hermaphroditism and the presence of a hormonally active ovarian tumor.

In women, infantilism is treated with hormonal therapy according to a specially developed regimen. Physiotherapy, special massage, and proper nutrition are also recommended.

In men, both drug therapy and surgical intervention are possible. To achieve the required concentration of testosterone in the body, hormone therapy is prescribed. It is possible either to introduce an artificial hormone or to activate the production of your own. If there are signs of mental infantilism, it is recommended to take antidepressants, antipsychotics, and tranquilizers. If conservative methods are ineffective, phalloplasty is indicated. During the operation, the patient's own tissue is used for penis plastic surgery.

Prevention of infantilism

Preventive measures should be aimed at preventing developmental disorders during the prenatal period. In addition, the possibility of infecting the child with infectious diseases should be minimized. Micropenis in boys should be a reason for parents to immediately seek help - treatment started on time will help avoid many negative emotions in the future. In addition, nutritious nutrition and adequate physical activity will certainly have a beneficial effect on the growing child’s body.

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