their voice…perhaps akin to Sullivan’s patients.
7) Sullivan’s six periods of psychological maturation. Sullivan proposed seven stages of development, each of which he considered to be integral in the formation of one’s personality. The sequence of interpersonal relations runs throughout the stages, and within each stage, other people are indispensable to a person’s development from infancy to mature adulthood (Summers, 1994). Unlike the developmental theories of his predecessors (e.g., Freud, Erikson) I appreciate how Sullivan believed that personality change can take place at any time, but it is most likely to occur during the transition from one stage to the next (Thompson, 1952; Summers, 1994). Out of the six, one that stood …show more content…
X’s struggles can be elucidated using the postulates of Sullivan’s Interpersonal theory. Based on the information presented, Mr. X has been experiencing symptoms of depression for quite some time. He reported being socially isolated, having little energy and enthusiasm, and a propensity to experience bouts of anger and aggression. The ostensible link between said symptoms is that they keep him in this pattern of relating that prevents the engagement with others, thereby hindering the development of satisfying relationships. The only exception being his parents and mental health professionals, both of which require a certain level of severity before they get …show more content…
When a child experiences a great deal of anxiety, particularly during infancy, the need for security dominates over the need for satisfaction. This later disrupts the child’s ability to form satisfying interpersonal relations (Summers, 1994). Sullivan believed a child’s relationship with the mother (or primary caretaker) operates as an emotional mold for all future relationships (White, 1952). It was reported that Mr. X’s mother, the fundamental caregiver in his life, battled with cancer throughout his life. Furthermore, his family has a history of depression, substance abuse, sexual trauma, and successful suicide. The combination of his troubled familial patterns in conjunction with his mother’s inherently anxiety provoking condition, undoubtedly contributed Mr. X’s current interpersonal struggles. Even though his caregivers expressed being loving and supportive of their son, their own inevitable preoccupations prevented them from fully mitigating Mr. X’s anxieties. Sullivan would posit that Mr. X is dominated by his need for security (Summers, 1994). Mr. X’s symptoms are exacerbated by the fact that his family never seems to address the underlying emotions of all the traumatic events. Instead they focused on the more external factors, such as the behaviors (e.g., cutting, suicide, intoxication), but they did not focus on underlying internal
7) Sullivan’s six periods of psychological maturation. Sullivan proposed seven stages of development, each of which he considered to be integral in the formation of one’s personality. The sequence of interpersonal relations runs throughout the stages, and within each stage, other people are indispensable to a person’s development from infancy to mature adulthood (Summers, 1994). Unlike the developmental theories of his predecessors (e.g., Freud, Erikson) I appreciate how Sullivan believed that personality change can take place at any time, but it is most likely to occur during the transition from one stage to the next (Thompson, 1952; Summers, 1994). Out of the six, one that stood …show more content…
X’s struggles can be elucidated using the postulates of Sullivan’s Interpersonal theory. Based on the information presented, Mr. X has been experiencing symptoms of depression for quite some time. He reported being socially isolated, having little energy and enthusiasm, and a propensity to experience bouts of anger and aggression. The ostensible link between said symptoms is that they keep him in this pattern of relating that prevents the engagement with others, thereby hindering the development of satisfying relationships. The only exception being his parents and mental health professionals, both of which require a certain level of severity before they get …show more content…
When a child experiences a great deal of anxiety, particularly during infancy, the need for security dominates over the need for satisfaction. This later disrupts the child’s ability to form satisfying interpersonal relations (Summers, 1994). Sullivan believed a child’s relationship with the mother (or primary caretaker) operates as an emotional mold for all future relationships (White, 1952). It was reported that Mr. X’s mother, the fundamental caregiver in his life, battled with cancer throughout his life. Furthermore, his family has a history of depression, substance abuse, sexual trauma, and successful suicide. The combination of his troubled familial patterns in conjunction with his mother’s inherently anxiety provoking condition, undoubtedly contributed Mr. X’s current interpersonal struggles. Even though his caregivers expressed being loving and supportive of their son, their own inevitable preoccupations prevented them from fully mitigating Mr. X’s anxieties. Sullivan would posit that Mr. X is dominated by his need for security (Summers, 1994). Mr. X’s symptoms are exacerbated by the fact that his family never seems to address the underlying emotions of all the traumatic events. Instead they focused on the more external factors, such as the behaviors (e.g., cutting, suicide, intoxication), but they did not focus on underlying internal