ABSTRACT
Failure to launch is a syndrome that brings many young adults into psychotherapy. Self-defeating behaviors are prevalent as these patients flounder in attempts to complete their education, have difficulty getting or keeping jobs and have commitment conflicts in intimate relationships. Many of these people live with their parents who are alternately worried, angry or frustrated. Often these “children” think about living independently. This chapter discusses the intrapsychic and societal treatment considerations that help us to recognize why these patients do not, indeed cannot, leave home.
Traditional characteristics of adulthood such as completion of education, making career choices, marriage, becoming a parent, etc., are occurring at much older ages in people’s lives. This phenomenon has prompted one researcher to propose the additional developmental stage of “emerging adulthood” that describes the “normal” albeit later age of attaining adult milestones in today’s 18–30 year olds. Differentiating between the struggles of emerging adults and those of more emotionally troubled individuals is also addressed in this chapter.
In-depth clinical work with a young adult is presented. Through extensive use of one patient’s dreams, his hopeful wish to be known as well as his seemingly contradictory dread of being known are explored. For this man dreams provided access to self-awareness that proved to be crucial in facilitating the gradual emergence of his autonomous decision-making.
