There have been several debates about Erik Erikson’s Intimacy versus Isolation over the years. Experts tend to differ in terms of their opinions and understanding of these theories. It is very important you have a proper understanding of such concepts. It will aid you in knowing how to seek help from a professional therapist. In case you are searching for where to know more about Erik Erikson’s Intimacy versus Isolation, this is the right place. This post will be majorly aiming to explain some of the top facts about these concepts. Its primary purpose is to have you enlightened on what they are basically all about.
Are you searching for how to experience an improved relationship with friends and loved ones? Get help from a professional therapist. There is no doubt that your social life will experience a boost after checking out the top tips being shared.
1 The true meaning of intimacy
Most people believe that intimacy means a sexual relationship existing between two individuals. Erikson had a different idea as he explained intimacy to be any kind of loving relationship. It is a situation whereby someone shares personal connections with others. According to Erikson, this form of relationship can either be romantic or platonic. It depends on the parties involved. However, there is always one standout feature in every intimate relationship. This is the strong bond that exists between parties as they tend to look out for one another without any ulterior motive.
2 The result of failure
According to Erikson, failure implies that a person is vulnerable to suffering from isolation. He was of the opinion that people don’t just decide to isolate themselves because they feel like. Rather, there is an event or pattern in their lives which represents backwardness. In a bid to cover such events from public knowledge, they may decide to remain isolated. In other words, Erikson is of the opinion that when people fail to achieve their set goals, they begin to avoid friends and loved ones. Most of them are likely to experience low confidence thereby leading to the idea of staying on their own. Isolation becomes the end result.
3 The hidden effects of isolation
One of the major effects of isolation according to Erikson is preventing people from enjoying the benefits of healthy relationships. People who are isolated always find it difficult to develop beyond their present state. The reason is that they can’t relate to others as they ought to. Isolation has deprived most people around the world of tasting real success. This is because they can’t get into relationships where their potentials would have been developed. In a nutshell, isolation can make a person become less competitive in his or her world.
4 Past experience matters
It is true that Erikson talked about intimacy being a relationship between persons. However, note that before an intimate relationship can be developed between individuals, trust is always required. For instance, if you have been hurt before emotionally, it becomes difficult to enjoy an intimate relationship without any hitch. Trust is a very important factor for any relationship to blossom. Most relationships are suffering today because there is a lack of trust between parties. Such could be due to past experiences of one or both parties. There are lots of people who judge their partners today based on past experiences.
5 Being intimate with others is a decision to make
Enjoying an intimate relationship with others is a process that starts from the mind. This is one fact about Erikson’s intimacy versus isolation which most people don’t talk about. The truth is that there are lots of sacrifices required for an intimate relationship to start existing between two or more people. There are instances when negative thoughts will be interfering with positive thoughts in order to fend off any attempt at developing a close relationship with people. Help is needed at such a point to make a decision. It is a period when you have to decide those to relate with.
6 Trust is crucial in our social lives
Trust is always neglected when people talk about building relationships with others. However, Erikson tries to point out the importance of trust in every healthy relationship. As a matter of fact, it is the first requirement that needs to be developed before any other. Humans are very unpredictable in their way of life. They can make decisions about certain relationships today and do something different tomorrow. There, trust is very crucial if you want your social life to improve. No one would want to socialize with people he doesn’t trust.
7 The result of a successful relationship
When people are beginning to feel safe about a relationship, they are encouraged to put in lots of effort in order to make it even more successful. In this stage, there are lots of commitments as parties in a relationship are feeling more secure. They tend to invest more emotionally rather than suspecting their partners. It has been researched and discovered that very few people experience this stage in relationships. This is usually due to their negative mindset about such relationships.
8 Completing the stages is crucial
This is another aspect that is often overlooked by most experts when discussing Erikson’s view on intimacy versus isolation. He is of the opinion that in order to enjoy a successful relationship, an individual must complete the various stages of development. This simply means that you must understand how healthy relationships are built and maintained over time. Failure to have a sense of identity developed, for instance, can bring about the inability to maintain relationships for the long term.
9 Honesty is crucial
In order to move from the feeling of being isolated to enjoying an intimate relationship with others, honesty is very crucial. Isolation is only a way to hide one’s failings from others in order to avoid condemnation. However, being completely honest and open is the only solution to solving such a problem. Most persons usually find the task of being honest very difficult and almost impossible. They may choose the option of remaining lonely and struggling with their failures inwards instead of being open and letting such go.
10 Isolation can affect your health
One of the negative effects of isolation is that your mental health is at risk of being vulnerable to various abnormal conditions. These could be a cognitive decline, use of substances, depression, and anxiety. These can affect your health in an adverse way. There is also the problem of spending money unnecessarily in the future to combat such health challenges. According to experts, an individual who has decided to isolate himself for a long period of time can experience any of these problems.
