Empty nest syndrome
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| Z60 | Empty Nest Syndrome (ENS) Occasions of contact related to the social environment |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
With the Germanized term empty nest syndrome ( ENS , Eng. Empty nest syndrome ) describes a emotional state of loneliness and sadness, which can be adjusted after the departure of children from the parental home.
Symptoms and Background
Literally translated into German, "Empty Nest Syndrome" means Empty Nest Syndrome and refers to the crisis situation that can arise when the offspring at the age of 50 or more are due to their age development and / or parental education Area have gone away. Women are preferably affected by this, as they have conventionally tended to stay at home during this upheaval, because they have primarily devoted themselves to raising children and have postponed or given up their own employment.
The syndrome is often overlaid by upheavals and changes associated with the onset of menopause and occurs in the form of more frequently occurring mental disorders and illnesses, such as B. depression .
The empty nest syndrome can be the precursor of a dependency syndrome , an addiction with e.g. B. alcohol and / or drugs. In certain circumstances, it is at the beginning of a “pharmaceutical career” when psychotropic drugs are prescribed to overcome the crisis and for the well-being of those affected and fail to stop them in good time.
Countermeasures
A simple method of counteracting this is to stay in close contact with the children, which is supported by today's technical possibilities ( Skype etc.). It is also possible to focus more on your own hobbies or to return to work. Since children are often "stress factors" in a marriage, another alternative to overcoming the crisis is to become aware of the possibilities of "freedom" and long-term financial relief that will open up when they leave.
Another way to overcome the feeling of inner emptiness associated with an empty nest syndrome is to take care of living parents who are becoming more frail and, if necessary, to take responsibility for their personal care or to volunteer . if a resumption of employment or a return to full-time employment is not an option.
literature
- Deutschlandfunk, Studiozeit, Aus Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften , broadcast on November 12, 2009, Barbara Weber: With tablets against loneliness , accessed on February 23, 2010, 10:37 p.m. CET
Individual evidence
- ^ Clay, AR (2003). An empty nest can promote freedom, improved relationships. Monitor on Psychology , 34 (4) (accessed December 26, 2015)
- ^ Parker-Pope, T. Your nest empty? Enjoy each other. The New York Times January 19, 2009 (accessed December 26, 2015)