Highlights
- Age regression is when you mentally or behaviorally return to an earlier developmental stage. It can be voluntary or involuntary.
- It’s usually a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, or trauma. It can be normal, and it isn’t a mental illness in and of itself.
- Age regression can also feel confusing and frightening, especially when it’s out of your control.
- You may benefit from professional treatment if age regression is getting in the way of your day-to-day life. Sometimes, it’s a sign of an underlying mental health condition.
Have you ever wanted to cry in your mom’s lap, even as an adult? Or have you slept with a favorite stuffed animal when you were stressed or sad? This may have been a mild form of what’s known as age regression.
Age regression is when you return to behaviors associated with an earlier developmental stage. Often, it doesn’t last long — it’s just a temporary response to stress. But sometimes, it can be a sign of an underlying mental health condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Read on to learn what adult age regression can look like, and how to get treatment if you need it.
What Is Age Regression?
Age regression is when you revert to a younger state of mind. In other words, you start engaging in behaviors that are usually associated with people who are younger. It can affect both children and adults. It’s usually an unconscious
For example, a teenager might start baby-talking or sucking their thumb again. Adults can revert back just a few years (like a new grad reverting back to how they behaved in college). But they can also revert all the way back to childhood or even infancy.
Age regression can be harmless, but sometimes, especially when it happens to adults, it can have serious consequences for your life and functioning.
We often think of age regression as an unconscious, or involuntary, coping mechanism — meaning that you don’t have control over when and how it happens. But it can also be voluntary, meaning that you choose to return to a younger state of mind as a way to cope.
When you’re experiencing age regression as an adult, you might feel:
- Overwhelmed and stressed
- A strong desire or need to be comforted
- Less capable, more dependent on others
- A need for support and safety
Especially if it’s involuntary, you might feel frightened by age regression. You might experience a lack of autonomy or feel like you don’t have control over your own life.
Age regression isn’t a diagnosable mental health condition in and of itself. It’s also not a recognized symptom of any condition. But it’s a common experience, especially for people who live with certain mental health conditions.
Signs and Symptoms of Age Regression
Age regression shows up differently for different people. Any behavior that’s associated with an earlier developmental stage could be a sign of age regression.
For both children and adults, age regression can look like:
- Whining
- Sucking your thumb
- Rocking or pacing
- Using baby talk
- Tantrums or aggressive behavior
- Sudden separation anxiety
- Needing constant reassurance
- Seeking comfort in things like a stuffed animal or blanket
- Spending time in the fetal position
But sometimes, age regression can look more subtle for adults. For example, you might:
- Start “partying” and using substances
- Spend a lot of time with younger people instead of peers
- Watch nostalgic movies or TV shows from your childhood (like cartoons)
- Collect toys or other things typically associated with children, even though that isn’t usually one of your interests
In more severe situations, age regression can look more extreme. For example, an adult might dress like a child, have bed-wetting accidents (or use diapers), or become nonverbal.
What Causes Age Regression?
Age regression usually happens as a response to intense stress or overwhelm. Sometimes, it can be a sign of an underlying mental health condition.
Common Triggers
Often, age regression is triggered by intensely stressful events. You might voluntarily or involuntarily regress to cope with your emotions.
Examples include:
- Big life transitions and changes
- Loss and grief
- Shame and/or helplessness
- Major conflicts
- Any situation that causes you to be stressed or overwhelmed
Mental Health Conditions Associated With Age Regression
Other times, age regression may be linked to an underlying mental health condition. Some examples of conditions that can cause age regression include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
Dissociative disorders[2] - Depression
People with schizophrenia and dementia may also experience age regression. This is often because of age disorientation — they are confused about their actual age. Research shows that a majority of people with schizophrenia believe they’re younger than they are.
How to Deal With Age Regression
Many people use age regression voluntarily as a coping strategy. If you’re in control of it, and your behaviors aren’t harming yourself or anyone else, then there’s no need for you to stop.
But often, age regression is an unconscious response to stress and/or trauma. You may feel frightened by it. It can also have serious impacts on your daily functioning if you’re not in control of it. For example, you might face consequences at work or have a harder time in relationships.
If age regression is becoming a problem for you, here’s how you can cope with it both during and after an episode.
What Can Help in the Moment
- Reduce Stimulation and Stress. If you’re regressing, it’s likely you’re feeling overwhelmed. Your nervous system may be in overdrive. It can help to reduce stimulation. For example, if you’re in a loud space, try to get somewhere quiet.
- Practice Grounding and Relaxation. Grounding can reconnect you to the present moment and bring you back to your actual age. For example, you might try the 5-4-3-2-1 technique, which guides you to ground yourself through your 5 senses.
- Talk to Someone You Trust. If you’re feeling frightened or overwhelmed, tell someone you trust about what’s happening. Choose someone who isn’t going to judge you — just listen to you and support you through it.
What Can Help Afterwards
- Practice Self-Awareness. Learn about age regression and how it shows up for you so that you can recognize it when it happens. Understanding more about what triggers it can help you manage. Journaling can help with this.
- Recognize the Trigger. Try to understand what directly led to age regression in this moment for you. What was feeling overwhelming? How can you manage it in a different way next time? Do you need to avoid these triggers for the time being?
- Connect With Supportive People. This could be more formal support, like a therapist or support group. But it could also be connecting with your friends and family. Social support is a great way to reduce stress.
What Can Make It Worse
- Shame and Self-Loathing: Try to avoid judging yourself for experiencing age regression. Remember that it’s often involuntary and unconscious. It’s a way your brain is trying to keep you safe. There’s nothing inherently “bad” about it. It doesn’t make you a bad person. This applies when someone else is experiencing age regression, too. For example, if your child is regressing, don’t judge or shame them.
- Trying Too Hard to Control. Remember that age regression is primarily a coping mechanism. It’s okay to try to ground yourself and move out of it, but trying to control too much can be counterproductive. Again, this goes for when someone else is age regressing as well. Don’t try to “force” them out of it.
See a healthcare provider if any mental health symptoms bother you or affect your daily life.
When to Get Help and Treatment Options
Age regression doesn’t necessarily require professional treatment. Some people do it voluntarily, and it can be a normal and even healthy coping skill. But it can become a problem when it’s involuntary, or if you’re relying too heavily on age regression without addressing the root cause of stress.
You might need treatment if:
- Age regression is happening involuntarily, even when you don’t want it to.
- It’s getting in the way of your daily functioning. It’s happening so frequently that it’s taking you away from the rest of your life.
- It’s causing you emotional distress. You feel frightened and upset about it.
- You’re experiencing other symptoms in addition to age regression. For example, you feel anxious or depressed.
Treatment for age regression usually involves therapy. The exact type of therapy can depend on what’s behind age regression for you and whether you live with a mental health condition.
Some therapy methods that may be used include:
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Can help you learn how to cope with painful emotions.
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): To learn how to accept painful emotions instead of wanting to escape from them.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): An evidence-based method that helps you process and heal from past trauma.
If a child is experiencing age regression, treatment usually also involves parent training and family therapy.
For some people, age regression is deeply linked to a mental health condition (like PTSD or borderline personality disorder). In some cases, your treatment provider might recommend psychiatric medications to help you manage your symptoms.
Conclusion
Age regression isn’t necessarily a problem. But when it starts to feel out of your control, or begins to affect your daily life, it could be a sign that you need more support. In many cases, it’s a sign that something deeper needs your care and attention, like unresolved trauma or an underlying mental health condition.
Working with a licensed mental health provider can help you understand your experiences with age regression and find ways to cope that feel more sustainable. If you’re ready to take the next step, MEDvidi can connect you with experienced professionals online so you can get personalized care from the comfort of home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is age regression a mental illness?
What is an example of age regression?
Can age regression go away?
How long does age regression last?
The duration of age regression varies from person to person, lasting minutes, hours, or longer, depending on coping ability and triggers.
How do I know if I'm age regressing?
When you’re age regressing, you return to behaviors that are typically associated with people who are younger. So if you’re acting in “younger” ways, especially if it’s outside of your control, you may be experiencing age regression.
Is age regression healthy?
What does age regression mean in BPD?
People with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often experience age regression because they have a harder time managing intense emotions. Age regression could be a way to cope with these feelings.
