Life Cycle: Early Adulthood

Life has its way of turning an individual’s attention to better understanding the overall course of life. One may experience different transitions, and turning points as well as particular life events and family experiences that may influence the developmental trajectories of life. The Moore Family- Ed, Jessica, Derrick, Terrance, Debbie and Barbara- all have stories that have unfolded over a period of time. One of the useful ways I will attempt to explain the Moore’s family stories, and the relationship between time and human behavior, is the life course perspective. The life course perspective maintains that chronological age, relationships, common life transitions, and social change shape people’s lives from birth to death (Hutchinson, 2013). Timing is very important.

Adulthood in the later years of life is different from the previous stages of life. Unlike the stages in later adulthood, the earlier stages emphasize developmental growth and achievements. In the later years in life, a person must deal with deteriorating health and death. The developmental theories in late adulthood involve the methods in which an individual can deal with their relationships with their bodily changes, mental abilities, changes in close relationships, families, overall society, and intended and unintended relocations (Rathus, 2013).

Life is what you make it as we go through life’s journey. We all have different experiences that are unique to us individually. “Life is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.” - Virginia Satir. There are typical aspects of our journey that are similar, but different; we share commonalities along the way with others. In life, we will face challenges that bring about change, which is what happens to us along the way when we are younger, and it makes us who we are when we are older. Change is the opposite

This essay will demonstrate my understanding of developments which occur at each stage of an individual's life cycle. I will relate these developments to two relevant psychological theories and discuss how an individual's needs must be met to enable them to develop.

Adulthood is a generation when modifications appear in social connections and situations. These transformations do not appear in efficient, foreseeable stages but as an alternative resulting in different courses, depending on personality

New needs and tensions will arise in each area of life initiating one to seek new ways of adapting to these new found stressors. In return this forces them to form different kinds of intimate relationships. This maturation helps forms one’s personality (Kowalski, & Westen, 2002). “Relationships formed during each stage of life serve as a prototype for interactions in later stages. For this reason, there exists a continuum of relationships formed throughout a lifetime that shape and mold specific personality traits. Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, and Lawrence Kohlberg, describe development as a series of stages. A stage is a period in development in which people exhibit typical behavior patterns and establish particular capacities” (Kowalski, & Westen, 2002). “The various stage theories share three assumptions: First people pass through stages in a specific order, with each stage building on capacities developed in the previous stage, second stages most related to one’s age, third development is discontinuous, with qualitatively different capacities emerging in each stage” (Kowalski, & Westen, 2002).

Elderly people physically slow down and have lower energy levels. There are changes in the body systems and organs that can usually result in all types of

Today people who are age 65 or older make up more than one tenth of the U.S. population and are the quickest growing age group (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman,  2010). As adults reach later adulthood, they begin to undergo mental, physical, and social transformations. All of these changes are experienced and handled differently by each individual. Time and planning help to alleviate stress and can make these changes easier to deal with. Family and friends are an exceptional source of support during these tough times.

Whenever an individual is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the individual and the family members often wonder what the future holds for them, and the diagnosed individual. Although there is no statistical evidence on the life expectancy for the community of people with ASD, most premature deaths that do occur are related to the lack of care in an institution, infection, and/or poor medical supervision (Van Hecke, 2010). Premature deaths can also be linked to suicide by individuals in the ASD community, often those with a less severe version of the disorder. Suicide can most commonly occur when the individual develops a mental illnesses, often as the cause of a disconnect from society. Common mental illnesses associated with ASD

Physical development continues to decline as one ages, typically experiencing weakened immune systems and a lessened ability to hear, see, smell and balance as well as before (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). Because of such challenges, older adults are more prone to failing and hurting themselves, which can compound physical challenges and require adjustments to go about accomplishing once was normal daily life tasks.

Later adulthood is the time in life when changes in marriage, families, and peer relationships are affected the most by the loss of someone close to that person. “Most people 70 years of age or older are widowed, divorced, or single” (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2010, p.619). Losing a spouse or close friend can create a sense of loneliness, which causes depression, anxiety and the emptiness feeling can become overwhelming. Depression also leads to psychological effects that will deteriorate a person’s health causing the chance for a terminal disease to become much higher. The weaker appearance of older adults causes family and remaining peers to step up in the role of making sure the person’s wellbeing is being met. (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2010). Living accommodations and healthcare needs

It is true that when persons become young adults, they tend to seek companionship and love from those surrounding them. Therefore, this theory can be applied in our interactions to understand the actions, and changes in individuals’ behavior and areas of concern as they go through life stages of

Young to middle adulthood refers to the development of generativity and the need to expand commitment to family. Middle adulthood is also known for the midlife crisis. This is when someone starts to question his or her values and beliefs. Sometimes a person may choose to change their job, divorce their spouse, or move. This can often start in the in the 40’s when someone realizes their youth is leaving them and their goals are no longer attainable. This is not always going to happen to

Although, I continued to encounter each stage of life event markers, and surpass each one to go onto the next (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). As in life we develop more each day, during the adult years cognitive and socioemotional functions will continue to develop and evolve from the ages 30’s and beyond (Broderick & Blewitt, 2015). When I reached the age of 30 years old I decided I wanted more from life, than just a menial job, I want a career. At the age of 30 years old I started LPN school, my children were old enough that they could help around the home while I studied. One year later I graduated from nursing school as an LPN, this was a great accomplishment for me, I was then able to pursue employment that would matter in the lives of others.

Conducting this interview helped me understand the stages of development on the subject of adolescence and middle adulthood. Since there are a lot of preconceived notions about these life stages, it was somewhat challenging. This learning experience (and other lessons), I believe, will help me prepare in the field of human services. The main focus is the similarities and differences about these two interviewees and to reflect upon the interviews.