http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Dressing and acting like a baby is something that not many people would consider doing. It is very strange, but would you consider it an addiction? If this is an addiction then does that mean that anything that we tend to do on a daily basis can be considered an addiction? Do you think that life experiences, such as Riley deciding to become a women, impact the things that people become addicted to?
Though the fact that this woman desires to lead her life as a baby do you think it is fair to say she is addicted to acting like one in comparison to other more serious and traumatic addictions? How do you think this "addiction" affects her daily life? Would you ultimately consider this a habit or an addiction? And what do you consider is the difference that separates the two?
It seems to me this man has some serious identity issues. I believe he had to suffer some sort of identity crisis as a young child that shaped him into who he is today. If a 25 year old is consistently dressing as a baby and acting like one, he/she is avoiding his/her reality by embracing another. This individual stated himself that it was his way of "washing away the stresses of the big, tough world". I don't believe society can clarify this as a legitimate addiction. This man's mental outlook on life has obviously been skewed and this "addiction" is simply an escape tool. It's almost as if he was deprived of his dress up stage in the early years of childhood and is making up for it currently. On a positive note, this addiction is not harmful like many addictions we see today. This individual may suffer socially but at least he isn't smoking crack or eating tissue paper.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Jeremy. My initial thoughts about this video is that this person is definitely suffering from some mental issues. I don't think that her transformation into a woman necessarily caused this strange behavior. There are plenty of transgendered people who are completely normal. Because of her transformation, we can assume that she does struggle with identifying herself, as Jeremy said.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would consider this an addiction. It's easy for us to say that her habit is negatively affecting her life but how can we really know? Everyone is different and this girl could happen to be very unique.
This issue is more complex than just labeling it an addiction or habit. Riley obviously has mental issues and possibly mental and emotional hardships from something deep down within his heart. He could have had a bad childhood, bad experience, or could just have chemical unbalanced chromosomes causing him to think he should have been within a female body. For dressing up as a baby, I believe it is deeper than just saying, "I am addicted to being an adult baby because I like it and .....it is comfortable" This sense of comfort is from the dressing up covering another issue deeper. If this is all void, another thought is that he has a mental problem but I truly believe this is all caused because of something he has experienced using it as a coping mechanism and isn't addicted to performance but is searching for happiness.
ReplyDeleteDressing and acting like a baby is an addiction because Riley admits that she does it to get rid of the stress from the outside world. The word addiction carries a negative connotation in our society, and dressing and acting like a baby is not considered a good thing to do, therefore, it can be more easily associated with addiction. Yes, anything we do in life is possible to be addicted to. Excessive use, and performance, to the point of negative results and a feeling that one cannot quit, is an addiction.
ReplyDeleteA habit is done without thought to some degree, and is automatic thing. An addiction is an automatic action that the addict knows will help alleviate bad feelings and/or pain. The fact that Riley said that she does it to forget about the stress of the world shows that this is a true addiction.
I think Riley uses acting like a baby to get rid of stress because as a baby you have no stress and life is pretty care free, and after a long day of being a woman when he is actually a man can be pretty stressful. I think it could be more of his way of dealing with being a transgender than the stress in life. Though I do see this more of a mental issue just because mentally he originally had problems with being a woman. I don't think this is as serious as lets say an addiction to drugs or alcohol; I view it more as a habit, or a weird fetish. But how does Riley feel if he is unable to come home an not dress and act as a baby? I also see it more as a habit because it does not appear to be taking over his life. He can dress and act like an adult outside his house, hold a job, and support himself.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jeremy that Riley had some identity issues. She is acting like a baby because she does not want to deal with her own emotional issues. She is a man turned woman and that alone would be a very stressful and emotional thing. In society she is not accepted for her alternative lifestyle so she dresses like a baby to take the attention off of that part of her life. She feels like she has to express her feelings and emotions in a very strange twisted way. Her addiction effects her life by making people become distant from her.
ReplyDeleteI dont believe that this is an addiction. Yes, it's a very strange habit, but doesn't everyone have strange habits? Her's may be a little stranger than most (borderline crazy strange) but it's something she is comfortable with. She said herself she doesn't share this habit with anyone, unless she knows for sure that they will be okay with it. I'm sure we all have a weird habit that we only do when we're alone. So I dont really believe this is an addiction, but just a very strange habit.
ReplyDeleteI would question the sanity of anyone acting in this way, and if they are proven sane, then I would say that this is not an addiction. This person is "addicted" to an identity, which is to say they are addicted to a version of themselves. If we consider this an addiction, we could also say that other types of identity are addictions. There is plenty of debate about being gay, but very few people call it an addiction (the only example I can think of is extreme religious conservatives who try and cure gays).
ReplyDeleteI think it is common for many people to struggle with finding their identity and figuring out what they want out of life. Choosing to live like a child does not make sense to me because one is deciding to leave the reality to become something they aren't...in this case, a baby. To me it seems that Riley is unsure of how to handle certain things and just wants to escape her reality. I think living like a baby is more of a personal choice then an addiction because there is nothing keeping her from living life like an adult, she's simply choosing to do it. In this case it seems she just wanted some sort of media attention or pity.
ReplyDeletei agree with all those who said that it can't beconsidered as an addiction.Being addicted to something means that the person doesn't feel ok without using that particular thing.Dressing and acting like a baby is just a practise of disguising.
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