During the 1950s Erik Erikson (1902-1994) revolutionized the field of psychology with his theory of psychosocial development. Erikson observed that a person passes through eight developmental stages during a lifetime, each involving a specific existential crisis that can potentially be resolved either positively or negatively (Grand Canyon University (GCU) PCN-475 Lecture 1, 2013). These stages build on one another as a person’s scope of interaction broadens, and the success with which he or she passes negotiates the crisis inherent in each stage depends largely on the quality of care and modeling provided by caregivers and teachers (Milevsky, 2014). Hence, a child residing in family system rendered dysfunctional by the presence of substance-use
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Sadly, there are over 400,000 infants born each year having been prenatally exposed to alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs which cause a spectrum physical, emotional, and psychological problems that can prevent healthy development through these stages and persist into adulthood (National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW), 2013). During the first year of life an infant learns to either trust or mistrust people in general, depending on how well caregivers respond to his or her needs. In the next couple of years, as the toddler masters motor skills, he or she will either acquire self-confidence and autonomy or a sense of insecurity and shame, depending on how he or she is encouraged to explore independently. At three to five years of age, as the scope of interaction broadens and new activities are attempted, the preschooler will either develop a sense of initiative or a sense of guilt depending on how he or she is accepted by peers. As puberty is approaches, the child will become industrious and eager to learn new things as he or she is rewarded and validated by teachers, or else develop feelings of inferiority from being overly criticized, overwhelmed, or …show more content…
Adolescence can be a particularly emotionally painful stage of development due to awakening hormones, and without assurances and good guidance the teenager could become confused, feel alienated, and emerge into young adulthood feeling isolated and unable to intimately commit to another person in a healthy way. Drug use during adolescence is associated with premature sexual promiscuity, academic failure, premature entry into the workforce, and lack of employment potential (McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter, & McWhirter, 2013). Additionally, young people who get involved in the drug culture usually get caught up in criminal behavior which further hampers their future prospects, making it easier to remain in a cycle of addiction that continues into middle adulthood. Erikson described middle age as a time during which a healthy, unselfish person willingly commits to rearing children as a contribution to the greater good (GCU, 2013). Tragically, many people who are too self-centered and burdened with a life already made unmanageable by an addiction suddenly find themselves with unplanned children and exponentially added pressure, which exacerbates their use of substances and dysfunctional behavior. In the eighth and final stage of old age, a person tends to reflect on whether or not he has realized his
Sadly, there are over 400,000 infants born each year having been prenatally exposed to alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs which cause a spectrum physical, emotional, and psychological problems that can prevent healthy development through these stages and persist into adulthood (National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW), 2013). During the first year of life an infant learns to either trust or mistrust people in general, depending on how well caregivers respond to his or her needs. In the next couple of years, as the toddler masters motor skills, he or she will either acquire self-confidence and autonomy or a sense of insecurity and shame, depending on how he or she is encouraged to explore independently. At three to five years of age, as the scope of interaction broadens and new activities are attempted, the preschooler will either develop a sense of initiative or a sense of guilt depending on how he or she is accepted by peers. As puberty is approaches, the child will become industrious and eager to learn new things as he or she is rewarded and validated by teachers, or else develop feelings of inferiority from being overly criticized, overwhelmed, or …show more content…
Adolescence can be a particularly emotionally painful stage of development due to awakening hormones, and without assurances and good guidance the teenager could become confused, feel alienated, and emerge into young adulthood feeling isolated and unable to intimately commit to another person in a healthy way. Drug use during adolescence is associated with premature sexual promiscuity, academic failure, premature entry into the workforce, and lack of employment potential (McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter, & McWhirter, 2013). Additionally, young people who get involved in the drug culture usually get caught up in criminal behavior which further hampers their future prospects, making it easier to remain in a cycle of addiction that continues into middle adulthood. Erikson described middle age as a time during which a healthy, unselfish person willingly commits to rearing children as a contribution to the greater good (GCU, 2013). Tragically, many people who are too self-centered and burdened with a life already made unmanageable by an addiction suddenly find themselves with unplanned children and exponentially added pressure, which exacerbates their use of substances and dysfunctional behavior. In the eighth and final stage of old age, a person tends to reflect on whether or not he has realized his