Sierra is now 32 years of age. She looks back at her life and credits her attendance at the Job Corps as a turning point in her life. She hadn't realized at the time how much she was experiencing pressure from her biological mother to return to Mexico. She and her mother have stayed in touch, but Sierra has been able to "become her own person."
Job Corps provided Sierra with an opportunity to learn how to be a retail sales manager, and she now supervises a shop in the local mall. She lives modestly and doesn't have much money left over at the end of the month. Still, she is happy enough, particularly given her bouts of depression earlier in her life. She started seeing a local psychiatrist a few years ago, and the doctor prescribed an anti-depressant medication for her. It helped her significantly, and she has just started to think about the possibility of having a family. Every time she brings it to mind, however, a deep fear arises from somewhere within her. She still can't imagine being with a man, and she knows that she still has deep wounds to heal.
* According to Erickson, what psychosocial stage did Sierra resolve effectively in order to establish her own sense of personhood? To what extent is such a resolution culturally appropriate in the United States? Is such a developmental milestone consistent with Mexican culture?
* What would you recommend for Sierra given her difficulties around intimate relationship? Is it likely that the psychiatrist would also provide psychotherapy? Why or why not?
*
What is the time period for early adulthood? What are the physical, cognitive,
and socio-emotional changes that typically take place during this period?
The psychosocial stage that Sierra accomplished was the “Identity vs. Role Confusion” stage. The basic strengths of this stage are devotion and fidelity. During this stage the “task is to discover who we are as individuals separate from our family of origin and as a member of a wider society” (Harder, 2002). Also during this stage a “significant task for us is to establish a philosophy of life and in this process we tend to think in terms of ideals, which are conflict free, rather than reality; we can also develop strong devotion to friends and causes” (Harder, 2002). Since Sierra found her own “personhood,” she accomplished the identity part of this stage because she feels comfortable with herself and can separate from her foster family and she realized that her biological mother is not who she needed to be with at this time. In the United States it is more culturally acceptable for the children of the family to be sent off to school and become their own identity separate from their family. The goal that parents strive for in the United States is for their children to be independent from them and starting leading their own life. Since Sierra is now 32 it could be seen culturally acceptable in the United States for her to start becoming her own person and become an independent woman from her family. Since the Mexican culture is more family oriented, it is less commonly seen for people to separate oneself from their family and form an identity outside the family unit.
ReplyDeleteHarder, A.F. (2002, March 3). The developmental stages of erik erikson. Retrieved
from: http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm
Intimacy issues are often found in women who suffer from depression. “’Fearful attachment has been associated with depressive symptoms. While preoccupied attachment denotes a focus on relationships as a source of self-validation, fearful attachment involves an avoidance of relationships for fear of rejection,’ the journal reports.” Sierra’s background of changing families is also probably impacting her view of intimacy (Vasquez). She was taken from her mother at a young age, and then she was taken from her first foster family, and while she was involved with her second foster family, her biological mom began to become more prevalent and tried to be more influential in her life. Her mom then moved to Mexico leaving Sierra in the US. Counseling is a good way to begin to overcome those intimacy issues that abounded from her childhood. She should start off a relationship very slowly and be honest about her feelings. As the relationship would progress, we would suggest that she seek couple’s therapy so that both of them can start to understand the issues she is dealing with.
ReplyDelete“Psychotherapy, or "talk therapy," is a way to treat people with a mental disorder by helping them understand their illness. It teaches people strategies and gives them tools to deal with stress and unhealthy thoughts and behaviors.” Psychotherapy could be a good way to help Sierra understand her depression and her fear of intimacy with another adult, especially that of a male partner. It can also help her realize what certain circumstances increase her feelings of depression (NIMH). Talking through her feelings could really help her progress.
(2010). Psychotherapies. Retrieved from NIMH website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies/index.shtml
Vasquez, T. (2008, Jan 09). Fear of intimacy: A common relationship obstacle. Retrieved from http://www.lifescript.com/soul/self/well-being/fear_of_intimacy_a_common_relationship_obstacle.aspx
The time period for early adulthood varies based upon the source. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the time period for early adulthood is from 20-30 years old ("Chapter 3: The," 2012), while several psychological journals indicated that the period for early adulthood is from 22-45 years old (Stoker, 2009). And these two vary from educational developmental journals that declare the age of early adulthood to be from the period of ages 17-45 years old (Smith, 2009). Some of the physical changes that occur during this period include: females often get pregnant, heart and lung capacity reaches their fullest potential, response inhibition in the frontal lobes as regulated by the limbic system fully matures, and immune functioning reaches its highest potential (Stoker, 2009). Some of the cognitive changes that occur during this time include: establishing a niche in society, “coming into one’s self,” “understanding and finding one’s self,” more creativity and thought development for problems that may not have a clear cut result or solution, and is the point at which a person can hold and retain the most amount of information at a given time in his or her working memory (Stoker, 2009). Some socio-emotional changes that typically occur during this time include: developing stronger familial relationships, developing stronger work related relationships, the development of strong intimate relationships that result in spouses and children, the development of very strong integrity, and a general satisfaction with one’s life in achieving his or her goals (Stoker, 2009 and Smith, 2009).
ReplyDeleteChapter 3: The transition to adulthood. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/abuse_neglect/nscaw/reports/transition_adult/transition_ch3.html
Smith, M. (2009). Life span development and lifelong learning. Retrieved from http://www.infed.org/biblio/lifecourse_development.htm
Stoker, C. (2009, October 04). Adolescence and adulthood developmental stages. Retrieved from http://stokercg2913.blogspot.com/2009/10/adolescence-and-adulthood-developmental.html