The vital stages according to Erikson

Erikson was a pioneer in considering that the development of the self is a lifelong process. He understood development as a succession of eight stages that manifest throughout the life cycle.

Within the psychoanalytic current, we can find authors who orthodoxly follow the assumptions of Freud’s psychoanalysis and others who modify these postulates in a certain way. Erik H. Erikson was one of them, expanding and modifying Freudian theory. He emphasized, finally, the influence of society on the developing personality and not considering the family environment as responsible in a unitary way.

Freud, in his genetic model, considered a succession of stages that each person would go through from birth to adulthood. He called this succession of stages “phases of psychosexual development.” For psychoanalysis, sexuality is a dimension of capital importance since it constitutes one of the main aspects of vital energy that drive human behavior.

Freud called this vital energy libido, which had to be repressed and kept away from consciousness so as not to provoke any conflict.

For orthodox psychoanalysis, this sexual energy does not appear in adolescence, but is present from the moment we are born. And what is more important, according to Freud, each stage is related to our emotional and sexual part. Thus Freud developed 5 stages: oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital.

Erikson, for his part, does not give the importance that his predecessor gave to psychosexual development, but instead focuses on social influence to explain the evolution of the human psycheso he will talk about phases of psychosocial development.

In each life stage a crisis appears that must be overcome by the person in order to move on to the next stage.

Erik H. Erikson

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The 8 vital stages

Erikson was a pioneer in considering that Ego development is a lifelong process. He understood development as a succession of eight stages that manifest throughout the life cycle. At each stage, The individual has to: satisfy his needs, develop his abilities and respond to the demands of the environment typical of his age.

If the crises are not resolved, there will be no healthy development of the person. Therefore, it is necessary to successfully carry out one stage in order to properly move on to the next. The stages considered by the author are as follows:

Basic trust vs. distrust. It takes place from birth to approximately one year of life. At this stage the baby must trust others, so that her most basic needs are met. Children can learn to see the world as a dangerous place if their caregivers reject them, or if their parents offer excessive overprotection and show the child that the world can be dangerous, without allowing them to explore it from a base of security. Here the key social agents are primary caregivers or other attachment figures.Autonomy in the face of shame and doubt. It appears on the year and three years. Children must learn to be autonomous when it comes to dressing, sleeping or eating. If they do not achieve this, they may doubt their abilities and feel ashamed of themselves. Here the social agent that acts is the parents.Initiative vs. guilt. At this stage the child’s mission is to feel that he has initiative and that if he carries them out, they should not clash with the rights, privileges or goals of others so as not to feel guilty. The partner agent is the family. It is a stage that arises when the person is 3-6 years old.Industriousness vs. inferiority. From the age of 6 to approximately 12, children enter a period in which they compare themselves with other children. They must master social and academic skills to feel confident. Failure in this regard will lead to feelings of inferiority. The social agent is the teacher.Identity versus role confusion. It reaches the age of 12 and lasts until the age of 20. The adolescent tries to answer the question of who he is. They must establish basic social identities and occupations so as not to remain confused about the roles they will play as adults. The key social agent is equals.Intimacy versus isolation. In early adulthood and up to age 40, the main thing is to build strong friendships and achieve a sense of love and companionship. If this is not achieved, feelings of isolation or loneliness may be experienced. The social agent is boyfriends, spouses and friends.Generativity versus stagnation. From 40 to 65 years old. The job is to increase productivity at work, educate the family, and otherwise address the needs of young people. If they do not assume these responsibilities, they will stagnate in the stage and fall into self-centeredness. The social agents are the spouse, the child and cultural norms.Ego integrity versus despair. In old age, from the age of 65, the adult looks back on his life, and may encounter a significant, productive and happy experience or a significant disappointment with promises and goals that have not been carried out. One’s own experiences and, above all, social ones, mark the way in which this final crisis is resolved. The key social agent is the human race.

The strength of the ego

As we have just seen, Erikson proposes the resolution of each crisis that arises at the different stages of our development. By resolving each of the conflicts, the person will grow emotionally and psychologically. But it is not only important to resolve the conflicts that arise, but it is also of utmost importance to acquire the skills that will allow us to face these conflicts.

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Having acquired such skills thanks to our social agents and being able to resolve all the crises that arise, will make us free of psychopathology. On the other hand, it is also important to remember that, If we don’t achieve it, we can stay stuck in some of themwhich will not allow us to progress.