Tantrums galore - emotional immaturity.

I had been in practice for a little while, when I realised that for the majority of clients, while I was seeing an adult sitting in front of me, I was witnessing the emotional behaviour of a child. It could be in the language that they were using or in some physical behaviour. Many of the clients could recognise it too.  It was not unusual to hear, "I feel like I'm four, five, six or seven...".


Not only did I find it fascinating, but it provided enormous clues as to how to help the client to look for solutions to the presenting problems. Why were they exhibiting such behaviour? The answers generally weren't difficult to find. 


Actual or perceived unmet emotional needs or needs met in an unhealthy way as a child. The child that they were behaving like in front of me. 


The needs are listed in this blog:
http://emotionalgrowth.blogspot.com/2011/08/why-rioting-and-looting.html


As a trained nursery nurse and someone who had run a toddler group for years, I was only too aware of the verbal and non verbal behaviour of emotionally distressed children. It was observations in the practice and my own life, over the years, that led to my particular interest in emotional maturity/emotional intelligence and it's role in mental health. 


My observations haven't always met with agreement from other colleagues and I especially remember the head of a mental health charity telling me in no uncertain terms, that he had never seen an adult behaving like a child. My thoughts were that he was missing vital information that could be helpful.


My husband has work in Australia and keeps in touch with their newspapers online. He found the following link:


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-13/famous-sporting-dummy-spits-and-brain-snaps/2882674?WT.mc_id=newsmail

You can make up your own mind.


©RitaLeaman2011