When do imaginary friends appear

Imaginary Friends and Toddlers. Is this healthy and normal? Continue Reading Below. More on Early Learning. View Sources. American Psychological Association, Imaginary friends last into the school-age years , January Toddler Groups. An expert delivers her verdict. For this reason, imaginary friends have been looked at as a type of hallucination that is experienced by normally developing children.

Adults similarly can have hallucination experiences when going in or coming out of a deep sleep. My team and I recently investigated whether people who had imaginary friends as children also report more such hallucination experiences. Interestingly, our study, published in Psychiatry Research , found that this actually is the case.

Importantly, these individuals were not a greater risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia, they were just more likely to have common forms of hallucinations. We know that because we also tested other perceptual experiences like unusual thoughts and ideas as well as symptoms of depression.

These experiences, in combination with more intense hallucinations, can put people at higher risk of developing schizophrenia. There was one exception, though — individuals who had also suffered child abuse. These people were more likely to have both unusual thoughts and ideas, and depression, possibly making them more vulnerable to psychosis.

Child Counseling. Play Therapy. CBT for Anxiety. As Seen In. Katie Lear. How common are imaginary friends? At what age do imaginary friends start? How long do imaginary friends last? Imaginary friends are a sign of creativity, not loneliness. Can an invisible friend ever be a problem? So your child's imaginary friend may be a nuisance — asking you to make room for him on the couch, demanding plate after plate of pretend cookies — but he's not problem.

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