Failure to Launch is a subject I recently addressed at the Innovations in Recovery Conference in April 2016. According to Psychology Today, the term “failure to launch,” is an increasingly popular way to describe the difficulties some young adults face when transitioning into the next phase of development—a stage which involves greater independence and responsibility. Although this is how it is commonly thought of in industry, from my experience the seedling for this phenomena may have been planted in the early teen and young adult years by over-anxious and well-meaning parents (often called helicopter parents) who wanted a life much easier than they experienced for their offspring. The effects of FTL can be clearly observed in 49-50-60 and, yes, even 70 years-old individuals who are in need of behavioral health care interventions. These individuals often still live at home or are supported by their parents and do not work. Even if they have been married and have children, they still act as if they were a child and take little responsibility for their financial well-being. My hope is that you find this presentation helpful as we work to reach this fascinating population!

1. Failure to Launch-Across the
Lifespan
Louise Stanger Ed.D.
LCSW. CIP
Founder, All About
Interventions
MINT Trainer of Trainers
President Sydney D.
Holland Foundation
Faculty SDSU Interwork
and USD

2. OBJECTIVES
Describe , Explain , Define and Discuss Failure
to Launch (Emerging Adulthood)
Compare and Contrast What Failure to Launch,
Boomerang, Helicopter Parents etc means
Across the Lifespan from 18-72
Demonstrate by Case Examples differential ways
the families and behavioral health care may
address these ever emerging populations

3. Failure To Launch-
Boomerang
FTL “is an unofficial name for a
common problem seen among
young adults .It can be defines
as the inability either from
desire or lack of preparation to
leave home and begin a journey
toward self supported life “
“Description of the difficulties
young adults face when
transitioning into the next
phase of development -a stage
that involves greater
independence and
accountability “

4. On A New Schedule- The
Changing Tides Of Adulthood
1960 , 77 % of women and
65 % of all men by the time
they were 30 passed all 5
milestones
medium age for marriage
was 21 for women and 23
for men
Today 13% of adult children
between 18-29 move back in
with parents after attempt
to live alone

5. Emerging Adulthood
a new developmental stage
Brain maturation -age 25 NIMH
longitude study 1991
Lag between Prefrontal cortex -
and growth of limbic system
where emotions originate and
prefrontal cortex that manages
Limbic system explodes at
puberty while it takes 10 plus
years for prefrontal cortex
Cerebellum (higher level
cognition)
Parents must ponder is their
MORE GOOD , LESS BAD in this

6. Cultural Shifts
Arnett Clark University
Need for more education in a
technology world
Fewer entry level jobs even
after schooling
less rush to marry
Birth control, premarital sex
Parents expectations and
memories -If only I had
Maybe only Car rental
agencies have things right (25)

8. 20 somethings 2015
Average age of being married is
now 28 women and 32 for men
American parents give an average
of 10% of their income to their
children no matter what their
income is ( McArthur Foundation
)
40% Move back home at least
once
Go through an average of 7 jobs in
their 20s
2/3 live with a romantic partner
without being married

9. Census Bureau 1980- now
American Community Survey
Foreign born young adults
doubled since 1980
1-4 adults speaks a language
other the English at home
1-5 adults live in poverty (13.5
million up from 8.4 million inn
1980
22% have college degrees up
from 1in 7
Prior served in armed services
9% were veteran in 1980 , 2%
today

10. Generation Y, Echo Boomers
or Milleniums
1-9 have credit card signed
by parents
Less Brand loyal
Technology savvy
Immune to traditional sales
pitches
More racially diverse

11. Parents Dilemma
“More Good-Less Bad”
DO What I didn't do-
Divorce-Dead end jobs--
Disappointments
Explore-Travel- Volunteer
Don’t settle down
WE will help whether rich
or poor
Emotional Intensiity
Hula Hoop

12. Meet The Parents
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY
FINISH SENTENCES
BAIL OUT
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
FOOD, CLOTHING
SHELTER
FEAR of FAILURE
ABCD

13. What does this mean in the
Behavioral Health Care Field
A= AGE OF FIRST USE
B=BIG CHANGES
C=CO-EXISTING MENTAL
/ BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
ISSUES
DNA-FAMILY HISTORY

15. Meet Doug
age 30
A- AOD Issues since jr high,
“7 rehabs always rehabs
fault”
B - Legal -DUI Medical,
College
C-Relational Attachment
issues, Hep C
Family History - one of 3
brothers , FH of ETHOL ,
Helicopter parent- Parents
cannot withstand pain

16. Harry-Age 25 Body
Dysmorphia Substance
Abuse Male
Parents both work-
Perfectionists-History of
ABCD in Family of Origin
Emotional Intensity of
parents coupled with The
Age of Entitlement
6 Different Treatment
centers since age 13
Attachment -Trauma-SA

17. 30-50 year olds
Intimacy versus Isolation
Love
Generatively versus
Stagnation (Growing Up ,
Supporting Oneself
Sandwich Generation
Erik Erikson

19. Meet Rob age 45 and His
Divorced Mother $$$$

20. Meet My Youngest son he’s
42
and I am a widow SA/ MH

21. The Emerging Tsunami
The Greying Of America

22. The Emerging Tsunami
The Greying Of America
Number of American over 65 will
double by middle of century
2050, 87.5 million americans will
be 65 or older compared with 43.1
million in 2012
1 in 5 adults will be aging !!!
Retirement communities are
growing -Brookdale Homes
Nashville
Aging epidemic in prisons people
over 50 are expected to increase
to 1/3 of all Cost $64,000 -as
opposed to $34,000

25. Major Issues in aging
Grief-Loss-Thoughts of Self
Harm-SI Ideation
$$$$
Difficulty Sleeping- Eating-
Incontenience
Increasing Use in Mind
Altering Substances-
Disorientation
Poor Hygiene -Poor Nutrition
Idiopathic Seizures

26. Major Issues In Aging
Basic needs (Food, clothing, Shelter)
Medical (Hips, Knees, Heart, Arthritis,
Injuries, Increase Physical complaints ,Falls
, burns , Bruises
Transportation
Caregiver and Respite care
Home repair and modifications
Elder Maltreatment
End of Life-Advanced Directives
Late Onset SA and MH
Cognition Problems, Difficulty making
Opportunities for Community Engagement-
ageism

27. New Facts About Aging
Decrease in smoking-
increase in longevity
Americans who were 65 for
example in 1972 could expect
to live 15.2 more years in
2010 increased to 19.2 years
Medical advances, Heart,
Knees , Hips , cataracts ,
noninvasive techniques.
NY Times May, 2014 and
venus Bureau

28. Depression-Suicide-Anxiety
CDC - People in this age range
consume 2-6 prescription to
nonprescription pills prepay
by 2020 prediction 4.4 million
14.4 million older adults experience a
MH
Fatality rate for suicide is higher 1 in
4 compared to 1 in 20 for all age
groups Anxiety Frequent dx-
Phobias, Social anxiety PTSD, OCD,
Panic ( Geriatric Mental Health
Foundation
1 in 8 adults over age 65 has
dementia -Alzheimers 10% Dementia

29. Substance Abuse & Aging
Proportion of people admitted
for SA Treatment has doubled
between 1992 and 2008
(SAMSHA)
3/4 started using before age 25
Late onset usage Up
ETHOL #1 increases Heroin,
Cocaine x4 , MJ,prescription
drug
Women late onset ETHOL, at
greater risk, outlive men

31. Getting Back to the ABC’s
and Failure to Launch
Meet Arthur
Entitled
Never Had to Work
College Education
Enmeshed Family System

32. Meet Sally age 62
FTL and Relaunch
92 yo father supports her
In Hospital- Staf infection
from shooting up Dilantin
Divorced , lost job as home
health aide
Daughter and her husband
live with her smoke pot do
not work-5 dogs
2 step sisters
whats a family to do ?

33. There is a big Difference between
able older people and
economically valuable older
people
55 Hispanic gay male
Lives with Mother
Sylist hair dresser
20 years-sobriety car
accident-pain pills.
Lost job ,lost income , lost
everything
Mother age 75

34. Meet a former PHD
A = 20
B + Bad Marriage-Children
gone- Childhood Moves-
C= BD / anxiety
DNA= Family History
E= Enmeshed and Failure
to Relaunch -
Parents age 73

35. Meet Sylvia
age 69 Embezzlement
A= 30 Valium from Mom
B= Suicide adopted son.
Divorce, two daughters,
Fractured family,
C- Cognition Problems /
Mental Health/ SA
R/O/early dementia
DNA- three sisters, hx of
SA, MH three generations

36. Families Remember
The 7 C’s (Cause, Cure,
Control, Change, Courage
,Competent , Connection
Celebrate
Hula Hoop Theory
Invite Change
Listen / Learn Engage in
possibility
5 Magic Words- yes, no
really, oh , whatever

37. What’s a Family To Do?
Be Open
Explore Possibilities
Be Curious
Be Discerning
Be Hopeful,Forgiving, Grateful
Be Powerful
YOU CAN BE THE CHANGE

38. Treatment Solutions
Must have multiple entry points
for intervention
Professionals must be trained in
complexity
Treatment centers built to
accommodate populations
special needs of young adults
and older adults
Age /gender appropriate mixing
Thinking outside the box-
collaborating with large scale
Senior Developments

39. Resources
SAMSHA
Census Bureau American Community Survey Then and Now
NYTimes -Network on Transitions to Adulthood -Failure to Launch 2012-Henig
Institute of Medicine -2014 Aging Reprt Center for Disease Control
Ted Fisher Shock of Grey Points
The Crisis of Americans Aging 2014 Osbourne Association for Florence V. Burden Association
Forbes Magazine Failure to Launch Children Moving Back Home Adam Dunn 2014
John D & Catherine Mcarthur Foundation-Network on Transitions to Adulthood
NIMH Longitudinal study of brain Dr. Jay Giedd PI 1991-2012
Pew Social Trends 2009 Growing Old in America
Arnett, When Will My Kid Grow Up