Age dysphoria

Age dysphoria is a psychological condition that causes individuals to feel as though they are a different age than their actual physiological age.
This can often result in anxiety, discomfort, depression, and a lack of personal identity.
Though age dysphoria is not recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), it has been discussed broadly in literature related to other dysphoric conditions such as body dysmorphia and dissociative identity disorder (DID).
It is also distantly related, though distinct, to age regression or ageplay whereby adults may revert to child-like behaviours due to trauma, stress, or dissociation.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs of dysphoria include: feeling disconnected from oneself, or feeling uneasy, dissatisfied, or agitated.
Age dysphoria may also be accompanied by comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, or identity disorders and can be closely linked to traumatic experiences.
Age Dysphoria and COVID-19
Age dysphoria is often discussed indirectly through what has colloquially been identified as the pandemic skip. The pandemic skip refers to the phenomenon of feeling like time was truncated during COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a sense of feeling the same age as when the pandemic began despite being years from that date.
In clinical literature, the pandemic skip was illustrated in a study through the inability of participants to accurately determine when major milestones and events occurred due to a dysphoric perception of time.

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