Adolescence is a challenging time for the majority of American youth. Between the hormonal changes faced during puberty and the transition from dependence on parents to emerging independence, it is no surprise that adolescence can be a frustrating time. My own adolescence was not particularly easy, and from the viewpoint of a developmental psychologist, it seems many troubles I faced growing up could have been predicted without difficulty. By using the developmental theories of Erik Erikson in combination with an analysis of my family dynamic and the challenges presented by body image dissatisfaction, I will take a profound look at my adolescence from a developmental-psychological perspective. I was raised by a single mother from the age
…show more content…
Unfortunately, this inconsistency in parenting lead to a great deal of tension between the two of us throughout my adolescent years. Had my parents practiced an authoritative parenting style, it is quite likely that my self-esteem and body image confidence would have been higher, my relationships would have been more secure, and my perception of success would have been more balanced. On the contrary, my trust in both parents was virtually diminished and I held a great deal of resentment toward the both of them for the position I was put in from a young age. As I’m sure most adolescents would in my situation, I made a lot of poor choices with such little guidance and supervision. The perfectionism instilled in me from the authoritarian times meant I had developed an overachieving, perfectionist attitude, while at the same time, the permissive periods allowed me to practice indiscretion and an underdeveloped sense of impulse control. The two elements were constantly at odds with one another, which eventually lead to a severe preoccupation with body image. This was probably an attempt to regain some control over a life that felt so unpredictable and overwhelming. As a result, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa by age fourteen, which I struggled with throughout the rest of my …show more content…
In accordance to this theory, my younger self was definitely leaning more towards role confusion. At age seventeen, I found myself cast into the world of adulthood without preparation. With little social support and poor physical health, I found myself overwhelmed with the concept of total freedom. At this point, I practically ceased doing anything. Instead, I isolated myself further because of the deprivation of most remaining social interaction I had gained during school. By this point, my sister had moved out on her own, my mother continued long working hours and due to our strained relationship, our at-home interactions were infrequent. My father was slightly more present at this point and assisted in teaching me how to drive, but these gatherings usually only occurred twice a week at most. I rarely attempted to arrange outings with friends, and although I did engage in romantic relationships, they were atypical for an adolescent as the social interaction was so physically and mentally exhausting, I was unable to maintain the relationships for long. Consistent with Erikson’s theory, I had no perception of who I was. My entire self-concept revolved around my physical appearance and numbers from the calculations of macronutrients to the infinite number of methods one can use to measure body
Unfortunately, this inconsistency in parenting lead to a great deal of tension between the two of us throughout my adolescent years. Had my parents practiced an authoritative parenting style, it is quite likely that my self-esteem and body image confidence would have been higher, my relationships would have been more secure, and my perception of success would have been more balanced. On the contrary, my trust in both parents was virtually diminished and I held a great deal of resentment toward the both of them for the position I was put in from a young age. As I’m sure most adolescents would in my situation, I made a lot of poor choices with such little guidance and supervision. The perfectionism instilled in me from the authoritarian times meant I had developed an overachieving, perfectionist attitude, while at the same time, the permissive periods allowed me to practice indiscretion and an underdeveloped sense of impulse control. The two elements were constantly at odds with one another, which eventually lead to a severe preoccupation with body image. This was probably an attempt to regain some control over a life that felt so unpredictable and overwhelming. As a result, I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa by age fourteen, which I struggled with throughout the rest of my …show more content…
In accordance to this theory, my younger self was definitely leaning more towards role confusion. At age seventeen, I found myself cast into the world of adulthood without preparation. With little social support and poor physical health, I found myself overwhelmed with the concept of total freedom. At this point, I practically ceased doing anything. Instead, I isolated myself further because of the deprivation of most remaining social interaction I had gained during school. By this point, my sister had moved out on her own, my mother continued long working hours and due to our strained relationship, our at-home interactions were infrequent. My father was slightly more present at this point and assisted in teaching me how to drive, but these gatherings usually only occurred twice a week at most. I rarely attempted to arrange outings with friends, and although I did engage in romantic relationships, they were atypical for an adolescent as the social interaction was so physically and mentally exhausting, I was unable to maintain the relationships for long. Consistent with Erikson’s theory, I had no perception of who I was. My entire self-concept revolved around my physical appearance and numbers from the calculations of macronutrients to the infinite number of methods one can use to measure body