What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Failure to Launch Syndrome?

Failure to launch syndrome may very well be present in the vast majority of the 36 percent of young adults ages 18 to 31 who are still living with their parents, per the Huffington Post. The 48 percent of 18-to-29-year-old individuals living with their parents in Europe proves that this is not strictly an American problem, according to The Guardian.

While there is no formal set of criteria for the diagnosis of failure to launch syndrome, the signs and symptoms of it are pretty cut and dry. Per Dr. Adam Cox, they include:

  • An unclear life purpose
  • Little to no ambition or concentration toward a career
  • Procrastination toward the next step in life
  • Unrealistic job expectations
  • A lack of energy or motivation
  • Seemingly not caring about money or seeing the benefits of earning it
  • An inability to tolerate stress
  • A preference toward being alone or regularly excluding oneself from social activities

Beneath the Surface

Sometimes other symptoms may be present as well that make the behavior of the delayed adult rather confusing. These symptoms are most often consequences of an underlying problem such as substance abuse or post-traumatic stress disorder. While there are plenty of treatment centers that are qualified to treat these disorders, the majority are not skilled in treating failure to launch syndrome too. It is vital that coexisting disorders — often referred to as comorbidity in the medical community — be treated simultaneously to render the best chance at treatment being effective.

In 2010, The New York Times reported that every year, 40 percent of 20-somethings in American moved back home with their parents at least one time. Young adults with failure to launch syndrome aren’t necessarily lazy — they’re lacking motivation, and there is a difference. Often, others will criticize these individuals, and when an underlying disorder such as depression or anxiety is present, criticism only fans the flames. Likewise, the highs and lows experienced with illnesses like bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder can exacerbate the symptoms of failure to launch syndrome.

For example, during a manic “high” period, someone with failure to launch syndrome may suddenly get a boost of energy, be more motivated to live their life, or have a flood of thoughts, dreams, passions and ideas that they talk about. This isn’t to say they’ll do so responsibly, but they may abruptly appear to have snapped out of their otherwise unmotivated ways — until the low period and depression returns. Cyclic behavior like this often isn’t recognized by others as an illness, but rather as a person who talks the talk but doesn’t walk to the walk — someone who constantly sets high expectations and only serves to disappoint. The backlash from others can be quite disheartening for the adult with failure to launch syndrome and subsequently feeds any ongoing depression or mental illness that is present, causing it to worsen.

Accepting Help

If you suspect that you, your child, or someone you know may be suffering from failure to launch syndrome, it is important to seek help sooner rather than later. Most often, these situations do not remedy themselves. At Optimum Performance Institute, our treatment programs focus on treating the whole individual. If there is an overlapping disorder, we’ll treat it at the same time in an attempt to successfully eradicate failure to launch syndrome from your life. Care for young adults is available on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. All you have to do is ask for help; we’re waiting.

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