“Adversity is a privilege.” Alexander Volkanovski
When I talk about adversity being a privilege, people ask, ‘How’s it a privilege?’ It’s about mindset. When all the odds are stacked against you, you have the chance to do something incredible…Don’t shy away from adversity—look what can happen if you push through. You can accomplish things no one’s done, or at least become stronger trying.” - Alexander Volkanovski
Theories on aging
Written by Mary Perry, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC:
The inevitability of aging and its developmental stages in association with human health have been studied and debated over the years. What follows is a summarization of the most common theories on older adulthood, from Sigmund Freud, Heinz Kohut, Bernice Neugarten, Daniel Levinson, and Erik Erikson. Healthcare workers see aspects of each of these while assessing and caring for the older adult’s mental health needs. Sigmund Freud was focused on the need to control the ego (part of the human psyche that operates in the real world) and id (part of the human psyche that strives to fulfill primal needs) with the superego (internalized values and morals that push the ego to act in a more virtuous way). Regression may induce rudimentary methods of coping to resurface in the older adult (Sadock et al., 2015). Heinz Kohut stated that the elderly are constantly faced with narcissistic injury as they cope and adapt to the biological, psychological, and social losses associated with the aging process. The central (psychological) task of aging is preservation of self-esteem (Sadock et al., 2015). Bernice Neugarten theorized the major conflict of old age to lie in the release of autonomy and authority; the focus is on accomplishments and previous victory. This time is for reconciliation with others and processing grief related to the death of others and the inevitability of death of self (Sadock et al., 2015). Daniel Levinson found that age 60 to 65 is a transition period. Older people, “late adults,” become consumed by the thought of their death and are often narcissistic and heavily engrossed in their body appearance. He found that creative mental activity is recommended and is a healthy substitute for decreased physical activity (Sadock et al., 2015). All the above theorists have aspects of interest for the healthcare worker to note; however, Erik Erickson’s eight psychosocial stages of development are especially worthwhile to consume prior to working with an older adult.
‘Future Authoring,’ or “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
Plans often go astray. Still, each of us has a wealth of plans, dreams, hopes, goals, objectives, and such, banging around in our heads. What to do with them? How to organize them? How to make them real?
One method for mapping things out is Future Authoring, or Self Authoring, found here: https://www.selfauthoring.com/. Created by a group of clinical and research psychologists, including Dr. Jordan Peterson, this program is designed to help the reader sort out his or her plans for the next few years of life. It’s a self-created map of sorts for our lives. Will the plans be foolproof? As Mike Tyson said, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Dwight Eisenhower put it differently when he said, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” Maybe you’ll follow the map, maybe not. But the process of creating the map can be meaningful and helpful in and of itself, so that you’re not blindly stumbling from waypoint to waypoint. Check it out.
Reading list
There is any number of books, approaching infinity or thereabouts, which are valuable in understanding ourselves and our position in the world. Quite a few men with whom I work have asked for a list of such books, and here are a few that some have found important and helpful. It’s certainly not comprehensive, and I won’t endorse every word of every book, but we take what we can.
h/t to Dr. Randy Wall, Dr. Kristen Daley, and Dr. Vince Pastore.
Man of a Thousand Faces - Joseph Campbell
Wild at Heart - John Eldredge
Finding Our Fathers - Sam Osherson
The Heart of a Father - Ken Canfield
The Male Brain - Louanne Brizindine
Principles - Ray Dalio
Triggers - Marshall Goldsmith
Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek
Adams Return - Richard Rohr
Affective Neuroscience – Jaak Panksepp
Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
12 Rules for Life - Jordan Peterson
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
I Don't Want to Talk About It - Terence Real
Man Enough - Frank Pittman
Seasons of Life - Jeffrey Marx