Cinderella Complex Syndrome
Cinderella Complex Syndrome is a modern psychiatric term that was first coined by Colette Dowling. She is a therapist from New York and the author of The Cinderella Complex: Women’s Hidden Fear of Independence.
Dowling explains that women are generally not educated to face their fears, and are not taught to deal with problems on their own.
So far, Cinderella Complex syndrome has not been studied in depth, because it is a popular term that sticks out among the public.
So, Cinderella Complex syndrome can not be used as a psychological disorder. However, Cinderella Complex syndrome is quite closely related to psychological disorders, namely dependent personality disorder.
Dependent personality disorder is a personality disorder in which a person is so dependent on others that he is barely able to live independently.
This syndrome is described as a subconscious desire to be taken care of by others. This condition is described as a woman who feels very wanting to be protected and needs a man as a shield in her life.
This syndrome can be caused by differences in parenting between boys and girls. Because, Cinderella Complex syndrome is closely related to parenting.
Girls tend to receive less encouragement to become independent due to more protective parenting and less pressure to build a strong self-identity.
Relationships between daughters and parents who are more harmonious and pamper them also have a strong role in making children less exploration and less independent.
As a result, girls tend to have limited life skills and lack self-confidence. This is because they only know how to depend on other people for a living.
Meanwhile, boys are forged very hard to control themselves and their surroundings, and are forced to leave spoiled and dependent attitudes, because these two attitudes are considered feminine.
Another cause is the habit of pampering girls. People with Cinderella Complex syndrome usually have a pampered childhood, so they are not taught to accept the realities of life.
They are given a lot of hope about a story with a happy ending without knowing that a happy ending is the result of a journey or a long process of effort and struggle.
Cinderella Complex Syndrome Risk Factors
Some things that increase the risk of Cinderella Complex syndrome are:
– Habit of pampering girls.
– Environmental factor.
– Other mental health problems.
Symptoms of Cinderella Complex Syndrome
Not only women who look spoiled, even women who look independent can experience signs of Cinderella Complex syndrome. Although there are no specific symptoms, generally women with this syndrome will experience several things, such as:
– Tend to accept all decisions and choices of partners.
– People with cinderella complex often crave a partner who can be a savior, protect, nurture, and also provide all their needs.
– They will feel anxious at the thought of living alone.
– Difficulty making a big decision in life. Usually, they need opinions or input from others.
– Difficulty keeping a job.
– Prefers to act as a housewife without any other work.
– Often expresses the feeling that they want attention.
– Sometimes they will feel badly treated by someone when it doesn’t live up to their wishes or expectations.
If you experience any of the signs of the above symptoms, don’t immediately think you have Cinderella Complex syndrome. We recommend that you check your health condition with a psychologist at the nearest hospital.
Especially if your symptoms cause you to have an anxiety disorder that worsens when you think about taking responsibility for your own life and well-being.
Diagnosis of Cinderella Complex Syndrome
Because this syndrome is not yet categorized as a mental health problem, there is no specific diagnostic procedure for this condition. However, if you feel you are experiencing symptoms of this syndrome, it never hurts to see a psychologist or psychiatrist.
If the spoiled attitude that you or the people closest to you has started to interfere with your daily activities, and makes you very dependent on others, you should immediately talk to a psychologist. The goal is to identify the cause of this attitude, and seek appropriate treatment.
Cinderella Complex Syndrome Treatment
It is quite difficult actually to say that a psychological disorder, or psychological problem can be cured or not. This is because many of them who experience this psychological problem, feel that they are fine, so they are not cooperative.
Therefore, if you want to overcome this syndrome, the first thing to do is to realize whether there is something wrong with yourself or not.
More specifically, here are some ways that can be done to treat Cinderella Complex syndrome:
– Affirm yourself that you have the right to make decisions for yourself and be independent.
– Discuss conditions with a partner to get support.
– Look for potential and excellence and try to develop it.
– Join a community or therapy group that supports positive development.
– Undergo therapy and consultation regularly.
When to go to the doctor?
If you experience the signs and symptoms of Cinderella Complex syndrome as described above, talk to your doctor immediately to find out the cause and get the right treatment.