Is it normal for adults to have imaginary friends?

It is very rare that adults have imaginary companions. But there are a few different types of behaviour that could be considered a form of imaginary friendship. For example, adult authors can be seen as prolific creators of imaginary friends in the form of characters.

What causes adults to have imaginary friends?

Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions where a person experiences a disconnect from reality. Other research has suggested that adults with Down syndrome have a higher rate of imaginary companions and are more likely to keep these friends into adulthood.

What age do imaginary friends end?

An imaginary friend can be present in a child’s live for anywhere from a few months to a few years. For most children, imaginary friends taper off by late elementary school—around age 8 or 9. For a few kids, though, invisible friends can last much longer, even into the teen years.

Why do kids have imaginary friends?

Children may, for instance, use imaginary friends to practice language or social skills. Imaginary friends can also help children talk through situations, think of solutions to problems, or vent emotions. A child with an imaginary friend is a child who has found a way to cope with feelings and problems.

What causes a child to have an imaginary friend?

Imaginary friends come in all shapes and sizes. They can be based on someone your child already knows, a storybook character or even a soft toy. Sometimes they come purely from your child’s imagination. They’re mostly human, but they can also be animals.

What are some negative aspects of having an imaginary friend?

The downside of imaginary friends is that sometimes they can be mischievous and tell the child to do something bad, or the child will blame the imaginary friend for poor behavior to avoid parental disapproval. On the whole, though, having an imaginary friend is a normal, healthy part of childhood.