No barking, no biting: why teenagers pretend to be animals
The topic of quadrobers is popular on the Web, and the heat of discussion does not diminish over time. Defenders of quadrobers believe that the hobby helps children develop physically and establish communication with their peers. Critics of the unusual hobby condemn teenagers for dressing up as animals and even imitating the behavior of quadrupeds in public places. Where is the line between the game and mental disorder, in what cases parents of teenagers should seek help from specialists and whether it is harmful to a person to try animal food - in the material "Izvestia".
Pros and cons of quadrobics
Psychiatrist, sexologist Alexei Vilkov believes that toddlers and even children of early adolescence is inherent in identifying themselves with various characters that cause them interest, including pets.
- Usually in this case, association and identification of themselves with animals is some element of children's role play. Children enter into the image of the animal they like, portraying its habits. There is no danger to the psyche in this. But the question is whether such a hobby captivates the child, whether it occupies a central place in his life and how much time it takes up," Wilkov warns.
Against the unusual hobby most often rebel older people. Neurologist candidate of medical sciences Vladimir Belash reminds that in certain periods of time, different generations had peculiar hobbies. And these hobbies also did not always find approval from grandparents.
- Once parkour was relevant, then there was a fashion for stunt scooters and bicycles, and now quadroblers put on masks and try to imitate animals. If some basic norms are observed, there is nothing wrong with such behavior, - says the neurologist.
Do not worry if quadrobika for a child - just characteristic for a certain age game with peers, associated with physical activity and elements of theatrical performance.
- Children are engaged in physical activity in the fresh air, move a lot, train to become endurance - this is good. But when an innocent hobby goes beyond the boundaries of the game and extends to everyday life, then you can not miss the problem, - warns Vladimir Belash.
Is quadrobics dangerous
It makes sense to sound the alarm if a child takes the game seriously, immerses himself in it so that other activities cease to exist for him. Some quadrobikers get so carried away that they try to eat dog food, bark loudly or show aggression towards other people in public places.
- Such behavior is already an exaggeration in the game and can cause some harm to both others and the health of the child himself,- explains psychiatrist Vilkov. - Therefore, it is important that the hobby is under the control of parents to avoid excesses and extremes.
According to the expert, it happens that such hobbies lead to severe mental disorders or developmental abnormalities. For example, cats and dogs are sometimes willingly portrayed by children or teenagers who already have a psychiatric diagnosis. But this is quite rare.
- It should be known that if a person already has mental disorders, then such hobbies are contraindicated. Such a hobby can provoke the development of delusional disorder, when the patient will be in full confidence that he is the animal with which he associates himself, - warns Alexei Vilkov.
Patients with mental abnormalities do not lend themselves to criticism, it is impossible to change their minds. One cannot do without the help of a psychiatrist in this case.
According to Vilkov, in the absence of mental problems, a person says goodbye to an unusual hobby after 13-15 years. But there are people who are fond of dressing up as animals as a game and after adulthood, without having any deviations. According to psychiatrists, it depends on the degree of maturity of the personality, the level of infantilization of the person, the features of his character.
- The main question is to what extent a person realizes that it is a game; whether he has criticism in relation to his condition; whether there is an understanding of where the reality and where fantasies are; whether he distinguishes a fictitious image from his true personality. This is the watershed that determines whether there is a norm or mental deviation," says Alexei Vilkov.
Why children associate themselves with animals
If a child begins to confuse the game and reality and behaves as close as possible to the image of animals, a psychologist or psychiatrist will help to find out why such deviations have arisen and how dangerous they are. It is not always about obvious problems.
- The child may lack the attention of parents, and he will try in every way to attract it to himself. Or the teenager's behavior will be an attempt to escape from the natural social environment in an imaginary world, to "hide" from some family conflict or problems at school, - explains Vladimir Belash.
Clinical psychologist at the Clinic of Dr. Isaev Evgenia Morozova suggests that in quadrobbing each child chooses an animal, which, as it seems to him, he resembles. Or tries to "assign" the features and "traits" that he lacks. For example, a child with a soft character, for some reason unable to express his aggression, chooses the image of a wolf or a tiger to give an outlet to his feelings and emotions.
- There are even group psychological trainings where adults are offered to temporarily "be animals". This helps to reduce anxiety and tension, because sometimes it is easier for people to communicate with each other through images or animal masks," explains the clinical psychologist.
The expert emphasizes that children and adolescents have a lot of strength and energy, and quadrobics gives the opportunity to release them freely and safely on a bodily level.
- These animal games and running on all fours can be seen as a self-regulation tool that allows you to feel emotional relief. The older a person gets, the more restrictions he or she has, fear of judgment and devaluation, embarrassment, shame appear," the expert comments.
According to Evgenia Morozova, according to the personality model proposed by psychologist Eric Berne, each person has three ego-roles: child, parent and adult. When people play and reincarnate into animals, their inner child, responsible for creativity, lightness, spontaneity, creativity, is "turned on". However, in the adult world, you don't need to put on tails and ears to do this.
- By and large, adults do the same thing, but in a more mature way: they gather in hobby groups, go on hikes, where they can feel more free to play and connect with nature," Morozova says.
The clinical psychologist emphasizes that under any circumstances there is a line between norm and pathology.
- With certain characterological features, predisposition and many other factors, any, even the most harmless and useful, hobby can turn into an obsession or harm health,- emphasizes Evgeniya Morozova.
Can children eat cat food
It is important for parents not to miss the moment if the usual hobby goes beyond the norm. When the boundaries of reality are crossed, there is a danger not only for mental health, but also for the physical condition of the child. For example, if in an attempt to imitate the pet in everything, the child will try cat or dog food. It is true that the hobby of quadrobics in the norm does not involve such a diet.
Andrey Rudenko, professor of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the Russian Biotechnology University, Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, cautions that dog and cat food is designed to meet the specific needs of animals. They differ from human needs in energy value and vitamin and mineral composition. For example, a cat needs about 2.7 g of digestible carbohydrates per 1 kg of body weight per day, while the need for such carbohydrates for an adult human is much higher. But of course, it's not that the child will not get enough calories if he eats dog or cat treats a few times. The danger lies elsewhere.
- Often for the production of food used by-products - processed animal bones, intestines, heads, ligaments, skin, etc. They are not only unsuitable for the human diet, but also pose a serious threat to health due to the content of various bacteria and pathogens, such as salmonella or listeria, - says Andrei Rudenko.
According to experts, plant ingredients of feeds - soy, corn and other cereals - may contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or allergens that people with hypersensitivity cannot tolerate. Some foods contain vitamins and minerals in concentrations that are toxic to humans.
- For example, an overabundance of vitamin A can cause headaches, nausea and liver disorders. Increased iron provokes gastrointestinal disorders and disorders of various organs. And excessive zinc and selenium can negatively affect the nervous system, GI tract and kidneys,- continues Rudenko.
There are also preservatives, coloring agents and other chemicals in feeds that are not intended for the human body. They, according to the expert, can cause severe allergic reactions and other negative health effects.
- Another reason why eating animal foods is unacceptable for humans is the lower quality control compared to human foods. This risks the presence of harmful substances or contaminants in feed," warns the expert.
The professor believes that if you try feed once out of curiosity, nothing bad will happen. But the use of animal feed as a basis for human diet is inadmissible and can lead to unfortunate health consequences.
