Erikson's Psychosocial Theory Analysis

“I heard the footsteps coming and I knew this would be another long night, and something inside me screamed this time it really isn't right. I hate him with everything I have in me and so much more, and one day I want to end this war.” According to neo-Freudian theorist Erik Erickson, ego and personality developments result from the interactions between internal drives and cultural demands that are extended throughout the entire lifespan. In Erikson’s view, to have a successful development an individual needs to resolve a crisis at each of the eight stages of development that Erikson emphasizes in his psychosocial theory. “The key idea underlying Erikson’s theory is that each new crisis is thrust on the developing person because of changes …show more content…
This is a major stage, between the ages of twelve to eighteen years old, in development where the adolescent has to learn the roles they will occupy as an adult and re-examine their identity to find out exactly who they are. Erikson suggests that two identities are involved: the sexual and the occupational. Failure to establish a sense of identity within society can lead to role confusion, which involves the individual not being sure about themselves or their place in society. Finding my identity occupationally was never a problem but sexually I lacked the confidence and I still do as a young adult. I was confused as to why I should be confident prideful in my body when at a young age it was violated. This is also why I am having so much trouble in the stage that I have just begun, intimacy versus isolation or the stage of love. “Erikson defined intimacy as ‘the ability to fuse your identity with someone else’s without fear that you’re going to lose something yourself’” (27). These two stages play hand-in-hand with one another and until I have completely established a sense of identity I will not be able to love anyone else nor will I be able to let someone love me. For example, I had a boyfriend that I meet in November 2013; I was so insecure and lacked confidence that I never gave him or accepted the same amount of love that he gave me. I was so scared that he was going to hurt me that hide my emotions from him just like to do with everyone else. This drove him away from me and we broke up seven months later. I isolate people from knowing the emotional side of me and I only show my strong side. I allowed that man to use my weakest, which is my love for my mother, against me and I vowed to myself that no one will ever see me weak, which to me