Exploring Erik Erikson's Childhood Stages for Self-Reflection

[hypervigilant]

I have quite a logical brain so I have reserved an Erik Erikson book at the library to work through the stages of childhood (much like a school project) to help me place how my childhood neglect affected me and colours my behavior now.
Peter Walkers Thrive is my go to and the are other books I dip in and out of such as Gabor Mate the myth of normal.
Somehow the more I understand me helps me to reconnect with me. Does anyone else find the knowledge powerful and even healing in a way?

 

[Sideways]

Does anyone else find the knowledge powerful and even healing in a way?

I personally didn’t find Erikson’s work at all helpful for my healing (and didn’t study it for that reason). It’s primarily about normal developmental processes, which don’t really apply if you had an abnormal maturation process through childhood.

It wasn’t unhelpful, but the context wasn’t relevant to me and my development.

 

[hypervigilant]

Thankyou sideways did you find anything that was?. I'm open to all suggestions.

 

[Sideways]

Thankyou sideways did you find anything that was?

Yeah - I’ve typically asked my T over the years for reading recommendations. Van der Kolk’s work I’ve read and revisited - found his work probably more helpful than Pete Walker. Herman’s Trauma and Recovery was also really helpful. There’s a lot of trauma-specific work out there:)

 

[hypervigilant]

Thankyou I will look them up.

 

[Friday]

Somehow the more I understand me helps me to reconnect with me. Does anyone else find the knowledge powerful and even healing in a way?

Yep!

Studying Erickson & Piaget for Developmental Psych is a lot like studying Jenner & Pasteur for microbiology, Mdm Curie for nuclear physics, or the Wright Brothers for aviation. Yes, they were founding fathers of their field a century ago… so they definitely merit knowing who they were, and how they shaped those who followed them… but the fields have come a loooooooong way since then. So I expect you’ll really dig what’s been learned since.

The 2 best intros to Lifespan Development / Developmental Psych textbooks I know of are (in no particular order)

The Developing Person Through the Life Span - Berger

With Kathleen Stassen Berger's always contemporary, always compelling textbook, students learn to see how the basic ideas of developmental psychology apply to their own lives, the lives of those around them, and the lives of others of all life stages and in cultures all around the world. Berger's narrative voice, wide-ranging cultural perspective, and focus on universal themes captivate students from the outset, helping them grasp the important theoretical and scientific work driving the field of developmental psychology today.

Development Through The Lifespan Seventh Edition - Berk

With its seamless integration of up-to-date research, strong multicultural and cross-cultural focus, and clear, engaging narrative, Development Through the Lifespan, by best-selling author Laura E. Berk, has established itself as the market′s leading text. Known for staying current, the fully updated Seventh Edition offers the latest, most relevant research and applications in the field of human development. New and compelling topics, rich examples, coupled with Berk’s signature storytelling style, makes this edition the most accessible and engaging text available to students today.

I very highly recommend both.

Expensive to buy, but dirt cheap to rent, from nearly any university in the US, and many in English speaking countries overseas.

 

[hypervigilant]

Ohhh thankyou Friday. I will see if the library can get them in.
I never really went to school and was at work by 16 so I've never really studied. I actually enjoy learning and it helps me make sense of things. Berks style of writing looks interesting.

 

[hypervigilant]

Wow, just looked up Berks book and it's just under £145. In the UK.

 

[Friday]

Wow, just looked up Berks book and it's just under £145. In the UK.

Right?!? Like I said, expensive. Not as bad as the $700+ hard science textbooks, but I WRITE in all my books, so I couldn’t just do a 90 day rent & return them, for $20 Used copies, though, start at half price and drop lower depending on how beat up they were. Even so, I still lost thousands & thousands of dollars worth of books when my basement flooded.

I never really went to school and was at work by 16

I enlisted at 17, didn’t go to college/uni until I had kids. The wealth of university libraries and bookstores blew my mind.

 

[hypervigilant]

I did find a second hand 6th edition for under £20.

 

[Hedge]

I just clicked on Friday’s links and Amazon had Betk’s book for far less than $700. They are listing the hard cover for $82

 

[hypervigilant]

Thankyou. I am in Great Britain, I am looking at the cheaper options. It would be great to have my own copy if I can find an affordable copy.