Middle child syndrome
Middle child syndrome is a disorder that affects middle children because of the lack of attention they suffer from in their early years.
The middle child syndrome is developed when the middle child finds himself in between the eldest child (the firstborn), who is always assigned the role of taking care of his younger siblings, and the youngest child who is showered with attention all the time and thus he feels neglected and unloved.
Do all Middle children suffer from this syndrome?
The main reason the middle child syndrome is debated is that not all middle children develop the same personality traits, which raises questions about the existence of such a syndrome.
Many of those people missed that they didn’t consider that other factors affect the personality development of a middle child other than the birth order. For example:
- Parenting style could prevent middle child syndrome: If the parent was cautious with his children not to make any of them feel neglected, the middle child might not develop the middle child syndrome.
- The middle child’s coping style: If the middle child learned how to avoid problems (by watching his parents, for example), he would most probably develop middle child syndrome. However, if the middle child learned how to adapt to life problems properly, he will grow into a healthy adult.
Middle child syndrome symptoms
As the result of the unfavorable conditions described earlier, the middle child develops the following symptoms:
- Low self-esteem: One of the main symptoms of the Middle child syndrome is the low self-esteem experienced by the middle child as a result of feeling unloved
- Social withdrawal: The other famous symptom of the Middle child syndrome is social withdrawal, where the middle child starts to take a side because of fear that his friends will neglect him the same way his parents did
- No sense of direction: The middle child might also feel lost and fail to determine the direction he should take in life as a result of not being sure whether he is worthy or not
- Need for approval: Another symptom that can show Middle child syndrome is the need for approval. Some middle children become demanding and needy as a result of wanting to feel loved and approved.
Middle child syndrome treatment
The good news is that even if you suffer from Middle child syndrome, you can still seek treatment and become a healthy adult.
In fact, understanding a psychological disorder by reading about it just as you did a few seconds ago is the first step towards treatment.
Once you start building self-esteem while knowing that it wasn’t your fault that you developed that disorder, you will feel much better. Start by building your self-esteem now so that you can get over Middle child syndrome quickly.
