Question

Question:

Erik Erikson's 'Intimacy vs Isolation. Discuss what occurs in this stage of development and illustrate how psychologically healthy and unhealthy individuals emerge from it.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Erik Erikson who was an ego psychologist has presented different development stages, from birth till death, Intimacy vs. Isolation is the sixth stage of development, the basic virtue is love and it is the development period between 18 to 40 years.

The major aspect of this stage is forming an intimate loving relationship with the other person, at this stage, a person shares himself more intimately with others and wants to have committed relationship leading to longer-term commitment, and this development of the relationship is with other than family members.

This intimacy requires care, protection, and faith in each other, and if the relationship fails to provide this safety and faith, leading to breakups and cheating, the person develops low self-esteem leading to isolation.

A broken relationship and cheating on the part of the person who was supposed to be intimately involved can lower the self-esteem of the person and an emotional person can take refuge in drugs alcohol and other anti-social activities to take revenge, mostly the young adults get affected when they feel rejected and cheated, that lead them to isolation and they become depressed and may commit suicide.

If the relationship and intimacy is caring and true the person develops positive attitudes toward life, that motivates him and if the self-esteem is high, then there are more chances of success in the life, with the satisfying life, and positive attitude they contribute positively towards the society and develop good social environment, they develop good and harmonious family life, that acts like buffer during difficult phase. They develop a good friend circle and have a good social life.

This is a very crucial development stage, as the children leave their parent's house, at the age of 18 and come to the new world on their own, they have to take their own decision and allowed to have his independent life, at this stage if no proper guidance and support is provided, there are chances of isolation, and if the person carries the life positively successfully and have a positive attitude would have healthy psychological life

has presented different development stages, from birth till death, Intimacy vs. Isolation is the sixth stage of development, the basic virtue is love and it is the development period between 18 to 40 years.

The major aspect of this stage is forming an intimate loving relationship with the other person, at this stage, a person shares himself more intimately with others and wants to have committed relationship leading to longer-term commitment, and this development of the relationship is with other than family members.

This intimacy requires care, protection, and faith in each other, and if the relationship fails to provide this safety and faith, leading to breakups and cheating, the person develops low self-esteem leading to isolation.

A broken relationship and cheating on the part of the person who was supposed to be intimately involved can lower the self-esteem of the person and an emotional person can take refuge in drugs alcohol and other anti-social activities to take revenge, mostly the young adults get affected when they feel rejected and cheated, that lead them to isolation and they become depressed and may commit suicide.

If the relationship and intimacy is caring and true the person develops positive attitudes toward life, that motivates him and if the self-esteem is high, then there are more chances of success in the life, with the satisfying life, and positive attitude they contribute positively towards the society and develop good social environment, they develop good and harmonious family life, that acts like buffer during difficult phase. They develop a good friend circle and have a good social life.

This is a very crucial development stage, as the children leave their parent's house, at the age of 18 and come to the new world on their own, they have to take their own decision and allowed to have his independent life, at this stage if no proper guidance and support is provided, there are chances of isolation, and if the person carries the life positively successfully and have a positive attitude would have healthy psychological life