Intimacy vs Isolation conflict
What is the difference between intimacy and isolation?
Intimacy is the ability to be able to open up romantically and emotionally to those closest to the individual. Those with intimacy have strong relationships with others. Isolation is the inability to form close relationships. These individuals are more depressed and lonely.
How do you develop intimacy vs. isolation?
Intimacy is developed by working on being able to share things about yourself to others. Additionally, one must practice listening to others.
What does Erikson say about intimacy?
Erikson says that intimacy is important to developing strong relationships with others. Being able to be intimate includes being able to discuss details about one's life and open up about their feelings.
Erik Erikson was born in 1902 in Germany. He is known as one of the best psychoanalysts of his time. His career started as an art teacher at a Montessori school in Vienna. This school used psychoanalytic principles, and these principles changed the trajectory of his career. He decided to obtain psychoanalytic training from Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. In 1936, Erikson joined the psychiatry department as a developmental psychologist at Yale University. Through his many years of studying psychology, Erikson became known for his theories about identity crises and psychosocial development. Personality used to be defined for how one was raised as a child. Erikson's theory changed this ideology and said that personality can change throughout stages in life according to surrounding influences.
According to Erikson, each person goes through eight different stages in life that contribute to personality. During each of these eight stages, one experiences a psychosocial crisis. The effect of this crisis on that person's life is what molds the personality. If one is unable to navigate the challenge of these stages successfully, they will find it difficult to have social relationships.
Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust
This stage is from newborn to 18 months. During this time, the infant learns how trustworthy the world around them is and looks to their parents for caretaking and the ability to trust. If the parents do not meet these needs and comfort the infant in times of stress, this child will develop a mistrust of the world around them and anxiety and fear.
Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
This stage occurs from 18 months until three years old. During this stage, children are working on developing independence with their physical skills. If a child is successful in this stage, they will develop a strong will and have confidence in their independence and care for themselves. Children who fail at this stage become very dependent on others.
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Stage 6 of Erikson's model is identified as intimacy vs. isolation. This stage is seen as more important compared to the others as it deals with relationship building, an integral part of happiness in life. As one starts adulthood, they need to learn how to have intimacy with others. Intimacy is being able to discuss personal details, have closeness with others, and be able, to be honest. This can be with romantic partners and close relationships with friends. If one is successful in developing intimacy, they will be able to have strong relationships with others, enduring connections, deep romantic relationships, and closeness with their families. Being able to have intimacy is essential to mental health and socialization. Isolation could occur because of negative experiences in childhood from neglect or abuse. As one becomes older, isolation comes from negative experiences in their prior relationships, the death of a spouse, or fear of intimacy or commitment.
Before entering this stage, one goes through the identity vs. role confusion stage. They must find a sense of self before entering into the intimacy stage. During the intimacy stage, the individual figures out who they are sexually and occupationally and discovers their independence. This sets them up to be able to explore intimacy.
If one is not successful in the stage of intimacy versus isolation, the consequences would be that the individual would experience loneliness and isolation. Those that become isolated experience struggles in their romantic relationships and ability to open up to their partners. These individuals may also experience an inability to have strong friend groups.
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