A person is born, going through certain stages of growing up in the future. In direct dependence on this objective physical process is his psychological well-being. At certain times, people tend to experience age-related crises. For each person, they are natural transitional stages, carrying certain dangers and suffering, as well as the opportunity to improve and develop.
Interestingly, the word "crisis" from the Chinese language is translated rather ambiguously. Its spelling consists of two characters, the first of which means "danger", and the second - "opportunity".
Crisis, no matter at what level it will be considered, at the state or personal level, is a kind of a start, a certain staging post. It provides an opportunity for a whilestop to think and define new goals, while analyzing their skills and capabilities. Sometimes this process is conscious, and sometimes not. Moreover, age-related crises of personality development do not always have an exact link to a certain age. In some people, they occur earlier by a year or a year and a half, while in others they develop later. Yes, and they proceed with varying degrees of intensity. However, in any case, it is important for each of us to understand the main causes of age-related crises in personality development, as well as their typical course. All this will allow you to survive them with little loss and with maximum benefit both for yourself and for your relatives and friends.
Definition of concept
The age-related crisis of development is one of the natural transitional stages for every person. It comes at the moment when the individual begins to sum up his personal achievements and is not satisfied with the result. At the same time, a person begins to analyze his past, trying to understand what he did wrong.
During our life we go through more than one crisis period. And each of them does not begin suddenly. This state is based on dissatisfaction accumulated as a result of the discrepancy between the expected effect and the reality that has come. That is why we are more familiar with the midlife crisis. After all, approaching him, a person has many years of experience behind him, which gives him great grounds for thinking about achievements, about the past, as well as for comparing himself with others.
It also happens that a person, thinking that he hasthe crisis does not even suggest that he suffers from other mental ailments. And they have nothing to do with the passage of psychological life stages. And if in children it is quite easy to observe crises of age development, then in adults it is difficult to do so. After all, each of these stages lasts from seven to ten years, passing either almost imperceptibly, or being obvious to others.
Nevertheless, the age crisis of development is a fairly universal phenomenon. For example, both 30- and 35-year-old people can solve approximately the same problems. This becomes possible due to the existing time shifts.
Age-related crises of mental development must be distinguished from those associated with objective biographical changes. This may include the loss of property or relatives, etc. For age-related crises in human development, such a state of the individual is characteristic, when outwardly everything is fine with him, but his state of mind leaves much to be desired. In order to improve their inner well-being, a person seeks to provoke changes, even if they are destructive. With this, he wants to change his life, as well as the internal situation. People around often do not understand this person, considering his problems far-fetched.
Psychologists' opinions
Age-related developmental crisis is a phenomenon that is considered physiologically normal. It occurs in most people and is a prerequisite for the development of the individual due to a change in her life values. However, not all psychotherapists and psychologistsagree with this. Some of them believe that the age crisis of development is a pathological process, and it is caused by a number of dependencies and etiological reasons. In some cases, the individual may even develop pathological conditions. To prevent this, the intervention of a specialist and the use of medications will be required. Moreover, it is necessary to treat the upcoming crises of age development in the same way as any mental disorder or deviation.
L. S. Vygotsky had a somewhat different opinion. With his research, which played a big role in the development of domestic psychotherapy, he proved that the age-related crisis of mental development is not at all a pathology. According to Vygotsky, the next stage in the mental development of a person, especially occurring in childhood, allows the formation of a stronger personality, which is characterized by strong-willed resistance to the negative manifestations of the surrounding world. However, this becomes possible with the smooth appearance of a crisis period, as well as with the correct attitude of the surrounding people or psychologists (if their intervention is necessary).
Life stages and their problems
Psychologists have decided on the periodization of crises of age development. Knowing about it allows each person not only to prepare in advance for stress factors, but also to go through each of these life stages as efficiently as possible for the individual. This will allow the individual to achieve their goals.
Almost at every age stage there is a need formaking a decision, which is set, as a rule, by society. By overcoming the problems that have arisen, a person is able to live his life most safely. But sometimes he does not find the right solution. In this case, he will certainly have more global problems. If a person does not cope with them, then this threatens the emergence of a neurotic state. They just throw him off track.
Some stages and crises of age development are described in psychology rather poorly. This concerns, for example, the period of 20-25 years. Age crises of 30-40 years old are considered to be more famous, having a destructive power that is not fully understood. Indeed, at this age, often people who are in apparent well-being suddenly change their lives. They begin to commit absolutely reckless acts, destroying their already formed plans.
Clearly outlined are the crises of age development in children. These periods of development of the human psyche require special attention from parents. If one of these stages is not passed, the problem of crises of age development is exacerbated. They are layered one on top of the other.
The crises of childhood leave a particularly strong imprint on a person's character. Often they can set the direction of his entire future life. For example, a child lacking basic trust may not be capable of expressing deep personal feelings in their adult life. And a person who was not allowed to feel independence in childhood cannot rely on personal strength in the future. He stays for lifeinfantile, looking for a replacement for the parent in his soulmate or in the authorities. Sometimes such people are happy to limply dissolve in a social group. The same child who has not been taught to work hard will later experience problems with goal setting, as well as with external and internal discipline. Parents, having lost time and not paying due attention to the development of the child's skills, by their inaction will lead to the fact that a small person will have a number of complexes. In adulthood, this will cause difficulties for him, which will be incredibly difficult to overcome.
Often, parents suppress their child's natural teenage rebellion. This does not allow the child to go through the appropriate stage of the age crisis. And the fact that such people did not take responsibility for their lives in childhood will certainly run like a red thread through all their future years. Reminiscent of childhood and during the passage of the mid-life crisis. After all, most of the shadow contexts of a person are developed precisely in the preschool and school period.
Each of us needs to be in a crisis of age development for some time. The main crises of life will certainly present us with many problems. But each of these periods must be lived to the fullest.
Psychologists also note the presence of gender differences in the passage of age crises. This is especially evident in middle age. So, men, during the passage of the crisis at this stage, evaluate themselves by financial security, career achievements and otherobjective indicators. For women, family well-being comes first.
The crises of the psychological maturation of the individual are directly related to the theme of age. The fact is that there is a widespread opinion that all good things happen to us only in our youth. This belief is strongly supported by the media, as well as representatives of the opposite sex.
Over the years there are significant changes in appearance. And a person comes to a moment when he is no longer able to convince others, and even himself personally, that youth has not yet left him. This condition leads to a large number of psychological problems. Some people, thanks to their appearance, come to realize the need for internal personality changes. But there are those who begin to try to look younger. This indicates unresolved crises, as well as a person’s rejection of his body, age, and life in general. Consider the main age-related crises of personality development.
Period 0 to 2 months
This is the time that is characterized by the emergence of the crisis of the newborn. Its cause is those significant changes that have taken place in the infant's life conditions, multiplied by his helplessness. If we consider the characteristics of crises of age development, then in this period one can see such manifestations as weight loss, as well as the ongoing adjustment of all body systems that need to function in a fundamentally different environment for them, not in water, but in air.
The newly born baby is helpless and completely dependent on the world. That is why in this crisis period there is trust in everything around or, on the contrary, distrust in it. If the resolution was successful, then in this case the little person develops the ability not to lose hope. The end of the newborn crisis is characterized by the development of the following:
- Individual mental life.
- Revitalization complex, which is a special emotional-motor reaction of a baby addressed to an adult. It is formed from about the third week after birth. The child appears concentration and fading when fixing sounds and objects, and then - a smile, motor animation and vocalization. In addition, rapid breathing, cries of joy, etc. are characteristic of the revival complex. If the child develops normally, then already in the second month all these manifestations are observed in full force. The intensity of all components of the complex gradually increases. At about 3-4 months, the behavior transforms into more complex forms.
According to psychologists, despite the small opportunities for the manifestation of motor and verbal discontent, the baby may to some extent be aware of the presence of the crisis situation that arises in connection with changed living conditions and the need to adapt to a new environment. Many experts are sure that this time is the most difficult for a person psychologically.
Second year of life
At this age, crisis is facilitated by increased opportunitiesbaby, as well as the emergence of many new needs. A year of life is characterized by a surge of independence, the emergence of effective reactions and familiarity with the boundaries of what is permitted. Because of this, the life biorhythms of sleep and wakefulness are often disturbed in children.
When considering the concept of the crisis of age development in the year of a person's life, psychologists note that he seeks to resolve the contradictions arising from the gap between speech regulation and desires. The emergence of self-reliance and autonomy, as opposed to shame and doubt, allows him to do this. In the case of a positive resolution of the conflict, the baby gains will and develops speech regulation.
Crisis of three years
During this period, a small person begins to form and for the first time manifests independence. The child has contacts with peers, with kindergarten teachers and other representatives of the society around him. Three-year-olds also strive to form new ways of communicating with adults. The child discovers a new world of previously unknown possibilities. It is they who make their own adjustments to the development of various stress factors.
Considering the characteristics of crises in the age development of children, L. S. Vygotsky noted that the main signs of their manifestation at the age of three are:
- Stubbornness. For the first time, situations arise for a child when something is not done the way he wants.
- Manifestations of independence. A similar trend could only be considered on the positive side if the baby wasable to objectively assess their capabilities. His wrong actions often lead to conflict.
After this period, age-related crises in the development of preschool age no longer appear.
Problems at 7 years old
Let's continue to consider the main crises. The crisis of age development, following the three-year period of a person's life, is school. It occurs during the transition from kindergarten to secondary education. Here the child is faced with an intense learning process, which makes him concentrate on learning new material and gaining a large amount of knowledge. At the same time, the social situation of development is also changing. The age crises of school years are directly influenced by the position of peers, which sometimes differs from their own.
During these years, thanks to such contacts, the true will of a person is formed based on the genetic potential that he has. After going through the school crisis, the child either becomes confident in his inferiority, or, on the contrary, acquires selfishness and a sense of significance, including social.
Besides this, at the age of seven, the formation of the inner life of the child takes place. In the future, this leaves a direct imprint on his behavior.
Crisis of 11-15 year olds
The next stressful period of growing up a person is associated with his puberty. This situation allows you to see new dependencies and opportunities that often dominateposition above the old stereotypes, sometimes overlapping them completely. This period is often called the transitional crisis, or puberty. Children have the first attraction to the opposite sex, based on hormonal changes in the body. Teenagers aspire to become adults. This is what leads to their conflicts with their parents, who have already managed to forget about what they were at that age. Often during this period, families are forced to resort to the help of psychotherapists or psychologists.
Crisis of seventeen years
The occurrence of psychological discomfort at this age is caused by the end of school and the transition of the child into adulthood. For girls in this period, the emergence of fears about future family life is typical. Guys care about going to the army.
There is also the problem of the need for further education. This is an important step that determines the future life of each person.
Midlife Crisis
Most people are characterized by dissatisfaction with their lives. However, it usually doesn't show up right away. In the middle of their journey, many begin to reassess their priorities and attachments, as well as weigh the experience gained against the backdrop of personal achievements. At the same time, most people are sure that they spent all these years uselessly or not fully enough.
Psychologists say that such a period is a real maturity and growing up. Indeed, during its passagepeople make a true assessment of the meaning of their lives.
Retirement Crisis
This period is quite difficult in a person's life. It can only be compared with the crisis of the newborn. But if in infancy a person is not able to realize the full negative impact of emerging stress factors, then after retirement the situation worsens much. An adult already has full awareness and perception. This period is equally difficult for both men and women. This is especially evident in connection with the emergence of an acute sense of professional lack of demand. A person who has still retained his ability to work understands that he is able to be useful. However, the manager no longer needs such an employee. The appearance of grandchildren can somewhat improve the situation. Taking care of them helps mitigate the passage of the age crisis by women.
In the future, the situation is aggravated by the development of serious diseases, loneliness caused by the death of a spouse, and the realization of the imminent end of life. To get out of the crisis of this period, the help of a specialist is often required.
