I'm 26 but look/act/feel a lot younger... is there something wrong with me?!
Question: I'm 26 years old but have what i consider a problem. I look so much younger that its almost freaky. this isn't a problem by itself but its the fact that i also feel and act like someone much younger. We are talking anywhere from 16 to 20 depending on the day. the problems are...
- not being recognized as a real adult in every day life
- not being able to socialize well with people of my own age group
- not being able to meet the expectations of my family
and is it considered unhealthy for a 26 y.o. no matter how he looks to hang out with 16 to 18 year olds?
i feel trapped between generations...do i have a problem? Do i have "Peter Pan syndrome"???
Answers: I'm 26 years old but have what i consider a problem. I look so much younger that its almost freaky. this isn't a problem by itself but its the fact that i also feel and act like someone much younger. We are talking anywhere from 16 to 20 depending on the day. the problems are...
- not being recognized as a real adult in every day life
- not being able to socialize well with people of my own age group
- not being able to meet the expectations of my family
and is it considered unhealthy for a 26 y.o. no matter how he looks to hang out with 16 to 18 year olds?
i feel trapped between generations...do i have a problem? Do i have "Peter Pan syndrome"???
It is not normal for a 26 yr olds to hang out with teenagers. This can sometimes be a problem, especially if the older person is hanging out with teens of the opposite sex. These days, I guess it doesn't matter what sex. Other adults might see this as predator type behavior and may start causing problems.
There is nothing wrong with looking young, but when you become an adult, you should start to want to put away childish things. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean you should start acting old, because a lot of older folks make themselves look older than they are because they act like really old folks.
What I mean is, when you enter a new stage of life, you should also be able to transition into the responsibities that accompany that stage. It is the normal life cycle.
Sometimes we go through emotionally traumatic events in our younger lives that can cause us to stop growing mentally as our bodies continue to grow. It is possible to kind of just, stay, mentally, in a certain stage of life instead of moving forward. My personal experiences and observations show me that this can happen when young people are often given negative reinforcements. Being told things like, "You're stupid", "you will never amount to anything", "you'll never get anywhere in life". Also constantly being made to feel like you are a disappointment has the same effect.
These and other negative statements can have a profound effect on children. They are like self fulfilling prophecies. If any of these are true with you, please, start making positive affirmations about yourself. It is important that you begin to understand and believe how awesome you are. You will have to ignore the negative statements people make about you. Whenever you hear a negative statement, block it out of your mind and replace it with a postiive one.
Do not worry about family expectations, you will not have to answer to them when you die. You have your own purpose and reason for being alive and it is up to you to walk in that. You deserve peace and wellness in your life and you will have to take responsibility to see that it happens. If you have to cut negative people off , then do it. I know this was a long response, but, I understand you questioning first hand.
Best wishes - Lsn2Jah
speak to your GP and if it is mental issues they will refer you on to a therapist probably your community mental health team,(CMHT)
If you have "peter pan syndrome" the I might also. I am 23 and I act kmore like I am 16-18. I don't have a preference in what age group I hang out with or make friends with, but I seem to like people around my age or higher.
What your family expects should be for you to be who you want to be. They shouldn't expect you to act a certian way if you don't want. Just be you and stop worrying.
You just liked it alot when you were 16-20 and don't want that time to end since it made you happy. There is nothing wrong with that.
I'm 35 and still act like I'm 18 and it frustrates me.I can't hold an adult conversation.I relate better with my 9 and 10 yr old neices than I do with there parents.I've learned that b/c I am a recovering drug addict/alcoholic that my age is what it was when I started to use and that makes sense to me b/c i started around 16 yrs old.So I definly can relate to what your going through.Also I was very spoiled growing up I'm an only child and had no responsibilities at all even now my b/f of 17 yrs is more like my dad cause he has enabled me not to have any responsibilities I'm now a new mom of twin girls and I'm hoping that this is going to help me grow up if it doesn't than at least my kids will have another play mate {sad insn't it}I'm not saying to go and have a kid of course.I hope me and you can both find a way to mature to the age that we really are and like you I don't look my age either.If I don't grow up I don't mind be in never never land....