Late Adulthood Life - Term Paper Example

Late Adulthood Life Introduction Late adulthood life is marked with reflection about one’s past, that is, the things one was able to accomplish and others, which he was not able. There is a remarkable change in an individual’s strength, physical functioning, and growth as they age. The cognitive, social emotional and physical development all change drastically. Individuals deal with these situations differently and a change of lifestyle, careers, and friends is a common feature as they age.

The paper will discuss the life of an individual who is in his late adulthood. Young Adulthood There were observable changes in physical functioning, growth, and strength. One remarkable feature about the individual was the ability to perform multiple tasks within a short time. The individual developed liver problems because of alcohol addiction. The reasoning and response of the individual was good and he could respond well and with success to a difficult situation. The individual dreamt of owning several estates within the region and this can be supported by the amount of effort he put in his work.

The individual had many friends and the relationship began through social drinking and bowling. The friendship grew because of the fact that they were based on common goals and aspirations (for instance, owning property). However, alcohol addiction and associated behavior caused some of the relationships to end. His relationship with the family members was relatively good. Concerning Erikson’s psychosocial task of intimacy versus isolation, he was intimate. This is because the individual was caring and he could share life experiences with close people like his wife (Coon and Mitterer, 2008).

The individual is married and has three children; the marriage life lasted because he was able to control alcohol addiction. The individual was a good parent and this can be shown by his will to go with them to the park and have fun. Middle Adulthood The individual worked as a risk analyst and he was satisfied with his job. The individual would still work as a risk analyst if he were given something different to do over again. In the work place, there were no instances of discrimination and he has never experienced unemployment.

Outside his work life, the individual was a volunteer with the Red Cross Society. His relationship with his parents was relatively good though there were times when there were bitter disagreements. The individual has never taken care of an older family member. As stated before, the individual’s relationship with his children was good, he could find time during weekends to go to the park with them and have fun. During his free time, the individual liked social drinking and bowling. The leisure he enjoyed most was bowling and if given more time, he would go surfing at the sea.

There were observable changes in physical functioning, strength and growth. The individual developed health problems such as liver cirrhosis and diabetes. He experienced stressful moments and exercised less because of the diseases and a change of lifestyle. His fluid intelligence changed but his crystalline intelligence did not change. The morals of the individual changed because of the health problems facing him. Most of his early adulthood friends were not maintained because he has to quit social drinking.

He had to form new friends (such as church members) who could support him emotionally and socially. The relationship with his family members improved. Through frequent family meetings (which gave him a sense of caring for his children), he was able to handle the empty nest issues. In regard to Erikson’s psychosocial task of generativity versus stagnation, he developed generativity (caring for his own children) (Coon and Mitterer, 2008. Late Adulthood Apart from liver cirrhosis and diabetes, the individual developed prostate cancer.

His weight reduced and he could not perform most simple tasks such as washing clothes. The individual became insomniac and this is related to the difficulties he was facing. There were changes in his attention, and processing speed. Engaging a conversation with him was difficult because he paid little attention to what was being said. The issues he was experiencing made him to become deeply depressed. The individual felt that aging was a stressful period of one’s life because one became weak and could not do most things he did when he was young and strong.

Most of his close friends had passed away thus; he had few close friends to count on. In regard to Erikson’s psychosocial task of integrity versus despair, the individual lived in despair because he had not accomplished most things he wanted; he experienced remorse and heartache (Coon and Mitterer, 2008). However, he appreciates the little things he was able to accomplish. The loss of his wife, his child, and several close friends made him more depressed. He experienced high levels of death anxiety and he was able to cope with it through encouragements from the church members.

He viewed death as something that is mandatory to everyone and he believed that there was life after death. The religious belief of life after death made him feel that life is worth living. He has had several strange dreams, which involved his wife, his child, and some of his close friends. The individual advises young people to live life in a responsible and God-fearing manner. Conclusion Each stage at life is different and as people age, their strength, growth, and physical functioning slowly decline.

Things that surround the individual begin to diminish. As the individual ages, his life revolves around reflecting the past and the things accomplished. The individual develops health problems, losses friends and family members, and changes his or her lifestyle. All these changes affect the individual’s cognitive, social emotional and physical development. References Coon, D. & Mitterer, J. O. (2008). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.