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Erikson’s Theory

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In my opinion, Erikson’s theory of personality development provides the best explanation of how personality develops in an individual. Erikson’s theory suggests that we develop in stages, from our infancy and continuing all throughout our lives. One of the most important elements of Erikson’s theory is the idea of ego identity. Ego identity is being aware of one’s self through social interaction. Erikson suggests that this ego develops and changes throughout life to take on the task at hand, at that particular stage of life. Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development explains personality development through specific stages. Stage number one is trust vs. mistrust. This basically explains how important good parenting is at the earliest stage of life. If one’s caretakers are inconsistent and not dependable, this could lead to trust issues later in life. Stage number two is autonomy vs. shame and doubt. This part of the theory discusses children developing a greater sense of personal control. If a child isn’t taught, or can’t learn, how to do simple tasks at a young age, this could lead to feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt later in life.
According to the DSM-IV, “Borderline” is considered a personality disorder. The typical behavior of someone with this disorder is someone who cannot stand to be alone, yet needs attention, someone who has very intense and unstable relationships and moods, drug and alcohol abuse, and anger issues. These behaviors taken individually may seem almost acceptable to American society, especially in teenagers. It is not uncommon to hear of young relationships being unstable, or college student abusing drugs and alcohol. This doesn’t mean they are a “Borderline”. As with most personality disorders, psychotherapy is used to help treat this disorder. As far as symptoms, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, and anti-psychotic drugs may be

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