Machine Gun Kelly says he has ‘Peter Pan syndrome.’ Why some adults fear growing up.
Machine Gun Kelly says he suffers from “Peter Pan syndrome.” But what exactly is it?
While discussing his upcoming movie “Taurus,” the “Bloody Valentine” singer, 32, said he, like his movie character, is “just a broken boy who has Peter Pan syndrome.”
“You don’t want to grow up,” he continued Tuesday while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. “You’re a lost boy, but you have Wendy, and Wendy doesn’t want to be with the lost boy, but she’s like, ‘Come back home and be a grownup with me.'”
Peter Pan syndrome is not an actual medical diagnosis, experts caution. It’s a popular metaphor named after the timeless fairytale to describe adults who feel like “kids at heart,” characterized by a fond nostalgia for their youth and a fixation on living life spontaneously.
“Even celebrities like Machine Gun Kelly can have all the trappings of success but still feel like a helpless child inside,” says Dr. Gauri Khurana, a child and adult psychiatrist based in New York. “Adulthood can be challenging, and it is common to feel anxious about one’s ability to fully take care of themself.”
Often times, she says, this childlike innocence stems from an array of factors including anxiety or childhood trauma. However, it’s not always a bad thing.
“Everybody likes Peter Pan, because he embodies this newness, potential for growth and hope for the future,” says Nathan Brandon, a licensed psychologist specializing in anxiety. “You don’t have to get rid of the youthful nature altogether, but it is important to find a healthy balance… because there’s the negative side of an adult who refuses to meet the challenges of life.”
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Those with “Peter Pan syndrome,” also called failure-to-launch syndrome, typically possess a playful outlook on life.
“Someone with Peter Pan syndrome may be young at heart, optimistic, and can see joy in the simple things,” says Lauren Cook, clinical psychologist and founder of Heartship Psychological Services. However, “they can also struggle with commitment, responsibility, and facing obligations that they don’t feel like doing because it’s uncomfortable for them.” Other common signs include romanticizing escapism, have the expectation of being taken care of and an over-reliance on others.
These behaviors, however, “exist on a spectrum from mild to severe, persisting over time and over varied situations,” Khurana says. “This means a person may not seem child-like in one situation, for instance when a parent dies, but can in other aspects of their life, like taking care of themselves.”
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What are the causes of Peter Pan syndrome?
Though there is little research on Peter Pan syndrome, experts speculate some adults may use it as a coping mechanism to avoid the stress of adult responsibilities such as parenting, paying the bills or searching for jobs. Unresolved childhood trauma can also play a role in emotionally stunting someone (In the past, Kelly has talked and rapped about when his mother left at age 9).
isn’t always a compliment. Sometimes it’s from trauma.