Age Regression Guide & Chat

What is Age Regression?

Date: 13 Mar 2024 

Last Major Update: 17 Apr 2024

What is age regression?

Basically, it is the mental regression of the mind, to an earlier stage of development. This is strictly non-sexual. This occurs for many different reasons and I mean MANY. Some reasons include being a survivor of childhood neglect, CSA, or child abuse; C-PTSD, to deal with stress, as an alternate coping mechanism, autism and many, many more. Everyone has different reasons, and every single one of them is valid. I'm going to be talking mostly about voluntary age regression, but keep in mind that, involuntary age regression also occurs, and it typically is what most medical journals discuss when it comes to age regression.

Psychology age regression definition

Regression is one of the eight Freudian defense mechanisms. It is described in psychology as when an individual reverts back to an earlier stage of development to deal with trauma or anxiety. Since Freud's definition, it has evolved.

https://dictionary.apa.org/regression

Why age regression?

So, that would be up to the individual, and I can only really talk about my reasons. I age regress because it is a much better coping mechanism to deal with stress, in comparison to what I used to use, SH(I abbreviate so I don't trigger myself). Age regression, simply put, is comforting. I am happier when I am little. I'm not thinking suc!dial thoughts when I'm little. That's a big deal. It's a game changer, being able to do that, without meds, without side effects. It's a way for me to feel safe. 

The cons and my arguments against them

Some medical journals say it is maladaptive, but there still isn't a lot of research in it. They say it makes it harder to treat PTSD, and then admit there isn't much research on voluntary age regression. Maladaptive behavior is any kind of behavior that is designed to respond, react, or adapt to a situation, but is unable to do so effectively, and in fact impacts your day-to-day life negatively.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8918204/

The above article simply says that because there is no research on it, it could be potentially maladaptive and that it is better to use more evidence-based coping mechanisms instead. While this may be true, it says this only about people with PTSD. I do not have  PTSD, so I feel this doesn't apply to me. Perhaps it does, perhaps it does not.

Some places say it makes us "too dependent" on others.

Ok, let me just explain something. I don't want to be a child physically again. I don't want to regress all the time and not be an adult, in fact, just the opposite. I am the type of person who studies until 3 am in the morning and drinks 6 monsters and 3 espressos to stay awake. I need regression to sort of, prevent those things and put self-care in place. Ok, maybe I'm dependent during my regression, but, to be honest, for me, that's a good thing,  because outside of my regression, I am very independent. I am a very high achieving person. "Top of my school" and "Are You Satisfied?" are kind of my theme songs. I will graduate high school over a year and a half early, and I plan to go to college directly after I graduate in the winter to start in the spring. I plan to be an engineer, and you can't become an engineer without being slightly dependent on others, your team members specifically, so you can work together and say "ok, X, you need to do this," and "Y, please finishing the talking points on this." And then, "I'll do this." The other team members depend on me finishing that task. Dependency is not a negative thing, I don't get why people think it is.

Furthermore, in my childhood, not asking for help was reinforced by teachers, parents, and other adults or older kids praising me for being "low-maintenance" and "quiet." As a result, asking for help or even just accepting it when offered is extremely difficult. Age regression for me, helps me by being able to depend and trust someone, which I struggle with. Even outside of my regression, it helps me accept help when it's offered and I need it, for example, on a really big chore, and my brother has finished his work, and my mom told him to help me. Usually I tell him he doesn't need to, which I still do sometimes, but now when I really need to get it done quickly, say, if we have guests coming, then I can accept.

Another site mentioned that because of its avoidant techniques, it's a maladaptive coping skill. The thing is, with vent regression, I'm not escaping my feelings. If I wanted to escape, I would dissociate, which I used to do often. Through vent regression, I create a safe space for myself to express my negative feelings. 

So, overall, I think these people are jumping to conclusions that they have no research to base these conclusions off of. Basically, why do you consider anything "weird" maladaptive. For example, PMS and homosexuality used to be classified as mental disorders in the DSM, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health. PMDD is still in the DSM-V. Psychology makes mistakes and is an ever-evolving science.

Question for you: 

If you regress, why do you age regress? How do you feel during and after your regression?

My answer: 

1)To prevent SH and to feel safe 

2) during: safe, happy 

after: content, calm