Ian is now 33 years of age. After attending college partly on scholarship and partly with loans, he has just finished paying off his college debt. He married his high school sweetheart, Molly, and the two now have 3 children. Ian teaches at a local high school, and he teaches one class a week at a local community college. He is able to get around through public transportation, the assistance of a close group of friends, and Molly. Molly works also as a speech pathologist for the same school district in which Ian works, and the two are known by all as wonderful professionals in their respective fields.
Ian credits much of his life path to the resilience he built and drew upon after the accident. He often talks about how it has taught him lessons and "made him the person he is today." Even though he sometimes wishes he could run in the backyard with his kids, he continues to find ways to make meaning of his life and his past.
Ian sees his older brother from time to time - Tyler never fully recovered from his injury and still struggles with activities of daily living. Tyler has developed a quirky sense of humor, however, and he loves coming to the house to see his nieces and nephew. Ian keeps in touch with his mother who visits with Tyler, and the two talk several times throughout the week.
* What is the time period for early adulthood? What are the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional changes that typically take place during this period? What specific aspects of early adulthood must Ian pay attention to since he is wheelchair-bound? Is he more susceptible to certain kinds of difficulties during this period, or is he not any more or less susceptible than anyone else?
* How does contemporary psychology define "resilience?" How does this apply to Ian? What is positive psychology? To what do you attribute Ian's current sense of thriving in life and his resilience?
The period of early adulthood defines individuals between the ages of 20 and 35. These individuals are focused on romance, friendships, children, and careers and are typically vibrant, healthy, and active. However, serious events can drastically affect one’s early adulthood such as depression as well as physical differences. Even though Ian married the love of his life and has two children, he struggles every day with the fact that he does not have legs. Not having legs is a very clear disability. Throughout his early adulthood, Ian struggled with no legs while marrying his high-school sweetheart and having two children. While these exciting and life-changing events were occurring, Ian probably felt depressed. Ian had to get married and play with his children in a wheel chair. An individual going through these struggles would most likely experience some loneliness and depression. As previously mentioned, serious events or illnesses could negatively affect one’s early adulthood. In Ian’s case, that statement remains true.
ReplyDeleteDuring the period of early adulthood, several physical changes take place. While females reach their adult height by the age of 18, males continue to grow in their early 20s. Most males reach their maximum height by the age of 21. Even after the individual has reached their maximum height, they still gain muscle mass. In addition, both women and men gain an average of 15 pounds over the course of early adulthood. Unfortunately, Ian never got to experience these physical changes. Since Ian resides in a wheelchair, he will never experience physical exercise. This could result in more weight gain which could ultimately lead to more disabilities in the future.
Typically, cognitive changes have already taken place prior to the stage of early adulthood. Individuals in early adulthood apply their fully developed cognitive abilities and analytical capabilities to each of their particular lives. Other cognitive abilities such as planning, judgment, and moving muscles fully develop when the individual reaches their early 20s. However, there is a significant difference between adolescent thinking and adult thinking. Adults think in a more flexible way, they realize that there is more than one approach to solving a problem, and they understand that there are bound to be multiple opinions on certain issues. Unlike adults, adolescents are set on finding absolute truths to answers.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to physical and cognitive changes, emotional changes also occur during the span of early adulthood. During early adulthood, an individual spends the time to seek intimate relationships. Luckily, for Ian, this intimacy need was met when he married his high school sweetheart. If Ian chose a different path and had not married his high school sweetheart, he may have had a hard time finding the special person to continue his life with because of his apparent disability. Typically, early adulthood is a stage in life where some individuals experience depression. Again, if Ian had not married and had children, he could be dealing with depression at 33 years old.
Since Ian is wheel-chair bound, there are several aspects of early adulthood that he must pay attention to. During the period of early adulthood, individuals start seeking career opportunities, love, and stability. While searching for a job, Ian must pay close attention to the benefits and insurance they provide as well as any disability services. Ian should tour each of the places he would apply to work and check to see if they have handicapped accessible restrooms, ramps, and doorways. Ian currently has a job, but if he decides to switch career paths he must take these things into consideration. Individuals in early adulthood also seek romantic relationships. If Ian were to ever get a divorce and start dating again, he would have to consider his physical limitations. For an individual who is wheel-chair bound, it might be hard to start dating and to find another woman who would love him for who he was. However, Ian is currently married and he and his wife may want to have other children. Ian has a hard time playing with the two children him and his wife have together. If Ian and his wife were to have more children, Ian may become depressed. These children could also become lonely and feel like they may be missing out on the father-son or father-daughter activities such as playing football, catch, or simply running through the backyard.
Ian could be susceptible to other kinds of difficulties during this period. During the period of early adulthood, an individual likes to feel independent and live on their own. Because Ian resides in a wheelchair, independence could be hard to find. Depending on how well Ian copes with his disability determines if he would be susceptible to other kinds of difficulties. If Ian is OK by himself in a wheelchair and knows what to do in case of an emergency, then he will develop a sense of independence. However, if he does not feel comfortable, he could very well feel dependent on other individuals such as his wife and children. Being constantly dependent on other people could result in a serious depression. However, Ian is surrounded by love and support from his family. It is unlikely that Ian will ever feel loneliness or suffer from depression. During this difficult time in his life, Ian must constantly remind himself of the love that surrounds him from his mother, brother, wife and children. If Ian is positive throughout his lifetime, he will probably not be susceptible to any other difficulties.
ReplyDeleteContemporary psychology defines resilience as an individual’s capacity to withstand stressors and not manifest psychology dysfunction such as mental illness. It is a person’s capacity to avoid psychopathology despite difficult circumstances. Ian has been living in a wheelchair ever since he was a young boy. Living in a wheelchair for over half of their life would be extremely difficult for any individual. Experiencing something this dramatic would definitely affect one’s mind in a negative way. Resilience relates to Ian’s life in so many ways. Ian had several mountains to cross throughout his lifetime. First of all, he lost some very important people in his life. If that was not enough, he lost his legs after being involved in a serious accident. His brother and mother are still dealing with the affects from the crash just like Ian. Everywhere Ian turns, he is constantly reminded of that horrid day. Despite these difficult circumstances, Ian still found positive characteristics in others as well as positive aspects in his own life.
Positive psychology is a psychology that surrounds happiness, well-being, optimism, character strengths, hope, positive thinking, and resilience. This area of psychology focuses on the individuals prospering. In Ian’s case, we feel as though he experiences these characteristics every day of his life. He knows that he is surrounded by love from his family and friends and just knowing that makes his life worth living. If Ian were depressed and lonely, he would probably have not had two precious children who he can teach his life learned lessons to. Even though he is living with no legs, Ian can look past that struggle and look at the positive things that have occurred and will continue to occur in the future. He can watch his children grow up and grow old with his wife. Just by knowing this, Ian can live a life full of happiness and satisfaction.
ReplyDeletehttp://psychology.about.com/od/branchesofpsycholog1/a/positive-psychology.htm
http://wilderdom.com/psychology/resilience/PsychologicalResilience.html
http://www.allpsychologycareers.com/topics/early-adulthood-development.html