Tloved school, and I excelled at it. I loved reading and math. Science was also a close favorite at this time, but we did not have enough science time in school for me to love it. I made it on the Principal’s list (straight A’s) every year in elementary school through middle school. I was also on an IEP (individualized education program) because I was marked as gifted. Erickson’s fourth stage of development is industry versus inferiority. Successfully resolving this stage leads to the child developing the virtue of competence.
This stage is marked by learning, creating and accomplishing skills and knowledge (Davey, 2014). Social skills are also significant during this time. I think I resolved this stage somewhat successfully because even though I still sometimes feel inferior, I have a sense of industry. I had two best friends during this time: Samantha and Tyler. I met Samantha when I was three years old. She was that typical childhood friend. We played on the playground together, did arts and crafts and told her all my child-like secrets and gossip. Tyler on the other hand, has been a lifelong friend.
He was torn apart when I was diagnosed with diabetes, and told his mom “I don’t want Bethany to die. I really need her. ” He was always that friend who I competed with and always had a crush on. We both excelled academically in elementary school (and beyond), so we were together in level classes plus Gifted education classes. My parents had a major influence on my development during this time. I strived to be perfect for them. I wanted to have great blood sugar control, excellent grades, and excel in sports. I never wanted to disappoint my parents.
I loved when they said they were proud of me, and it was important to hear that. My cognitive development excelled during this time My sister and l’s relationship became strained during this time, and therefore she had very little influence on my development. Stage 5: Adolescence I started puberty a little later than most. Menarche (the onset of menstruation or the first period) did not occur until my freshman year of high school. Puberty did not bring that many awful experiences except for ranging, uncontrollable blood sugars and acne.
The hardest thing about puberty for me was the acne. I come from a family where nobody had a lot of acne. Except, I did. It was hard to have my mom constantly tell me how awful my face looked. I tried so many different face washes, and went to the doctor about it. I tried at least three different prescription medicines, but nothing works. Still to this day, I struggle with acne, and have not found a solution to completely clear my skin. Erickson’s fifth stage, identity versus role confusion, begins at 12 years and continues until age 18.
Successful completion of this stage results in developing the virtue of fidelity (Davey, 2014). During this time, adolescents struggle to “discover and find his or her own identity, while negotiating and struggling with social interactions” (Davey, 2014, para. 9). They also begin to elaborate on the ideas of what is right and what is wrong. I am not exactly sure how my experiences would fit into this stage. I believe I found my identity when I was diagnosed with diabetes. I had to grow up and learn how to do a lot of things for myself.
I had to learn how to be my pancreas. During adolescence, I would waiver back and forth between moratorium and achievement. Moratorium describes someone who is very explorative, but lacks commitment; achievement describes someone who has already explored alternative and has commitment (Osland, 2017). I would think I had explored all that I could explore, and commit to it, only to find out there was more out there. I still feel as though I am a Weeble-Wobble, teetering back and forth between the two statuses. Just like toddlers, adolescents experience egocentrism.
There are two parts imaginary audience and personal fable. An imaginary audience is the thought that other people are just as concerned with our thought and behaviors as we are. When I was growing up, I thought people cared about the amount of acne I had just like | did. I thought they were constantly looking at it and trying to figure out how and why did I have so much. Personal fable is the thought that our feelings and ideas are so special and unique. It also encompasses the idea that we are always vulnerable. I remember in high school, I created a web page that I thought was amazing.
When the teacher chose someone else to get published, I was really upset. I thought the whole world was against me. I had a relatively good group of friends. My best friend was Kristen; I have only known her since our freshman year of high school. She influenced me to date my current boyfriend. I would always go on “third wheel” dates with her and her boyfriend, and I had liked my boyfriend for a long time. She was always incredibly supportive and we acted the same way. She was always the first person I told everything I should not have told anyone to.
My other best friend was Tyler. Tyler and I have been friends since we were three years old. He has gone through so many important events in my life with me. He was one of the greatest friends I think I will ever have. My other friends and I were not as close as Kristen or Tyler, but still they were great support systems at times. When it affected them, it was important for them to be there for me. The most important friend I had and still have is my boyfriend, Jacob. He always influences me to do my absolute best. He does not influence risky or dangerous behaviors.
He is truly the greatest. Call me boring, but I did not partake in any risky behaviors during my adolescence. I always did as I was expected because I did not want to face the consequence of my strict mother, and I was afraid of disappointing my dad. I think the worst thing I did, was hand in a paper late. I remember feeling awful about it, and I was afraid of failing the class. The teacher did not even take off any points. Stage 6: Early Adulthood When I was younger, I wanted to be a teacher. My mom, dad, grandmother and grandfather were teachers.
My mom would bring old teaching books and workbooks home for me to play with. When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I wanted to be an endocrinologist. I eventually realized I wanted to have a family, and being a doctor would waste too much time in school. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field because of my diabetes diagnoses, so with inspiration from my aunt, I decided I want to be a nurse. Eventually, I want to pursue a master’s degree in nursing practice. Erickson’s stage of development, intimacy versus isolation, can result in the virtue of love.
In this stage, people want to “seek companionship and love” (Davey, 2014, para. 10). If completed successfully, intimacy and love will occur. If not, isolation will occur. I have had one serious boyfriend in my life. My boyfriend and I have been together for almost two years. We recently just adopted a nine-week old puppy, and we plan to settle down, get married and eventually start a family. I have not completed this stage yet, but I feel like I am on the right track of completing it successfully.
Conclusion Changes in my body are obvious; I have grown almost four times taller than I was at birth, and I have gained a great amount of weight. I have almost completed puberty leaving several physical body changes. My mind has excelled since birth. I graduated in the top five percent of my high school graduating class which demonstrates the growth of my mind. I have more control over my emotions, feelings and actions than I did when I was younger. College has made an important impact on my life. For the first time since I remember, school made me feel lonely.
It has been very hard to adjust to the life of a commuter college student. I have always enjoyed learning, and I still do, but I miss the social aspect of school. College also has influenced me to spend more time on my work; it has made me spend more time on doing my work and studying. I realize that if I do not learn what I need to now, it could cause me to kill someone later in life. College is an important part to my future because if I do not succeed then I will not be able to make money and support a family. As I age into adulthood, I expect my body to age as well.
Even though I have relatively good control, I expect to have some sort of complications due to type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes complications include: diabetic neuropathy, diabetes nephropathy and heart disease. I expect to gain more knowledge as I age because I believe we are always learning. Even if I am not in school, I will be learning new things every day If I change my career path or even just change which medical department I practice nursing in, then I will have to learn new things. My mind will probably deteriorate, as will my body, and eventually I will pass away, and hopefully move into Heaven.
