the journey through adulthood
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The Journey through Adulthood. Presented by Paul D Seeley. A period marked by complex factors affecting one’s life Change vs. sameness Success vs. Failure Crisis vs. Stability. What is Adulthood like?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Presented byPaul D Seeley
The Journey through Adulthood
•A period marked by complex factors affecting one’s life•Change vs. sameness▫Success vs. Failure▫Crisis vs. Stability
What is Adulthood like?
•The body ages as it begins to wear, and our body’s cell cannot repair themselves as efficiently.
•Most adults are at their physical PEAK between 18 and 30.
Physical Changes
• STRONGEST• HEALTHIEST• QUICKEST
REFLEXESAppreciate this!
Young Adults
•Appearance changes▫Balding or thinning hair▫Wrinkles, often exacerbated by alcohol consumption and tobacco use
• The senses▫ Eyesight may degrade▫ Slowed reaction time
Middle Aged Adults
•Diet•Stress•Drug and alcohol use
Lifestyle Choices Influence Aging
1. Heart disease2. Cancer3. Cirrhosis of the liverAre all LARGELY influenced by lifestyle CHOICES.
Three of the most common causes of death in later adulthood…
15-24 YOA
Road Traffic Accidents
Homicide
Suicide
Causes of Death in Young Adults25-34 YOA
Poisoning
Suicide
Traffic Accidents
35-44 YOAPoisoningSuicideCoronary Heart Disease
Suicide is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH in America by INJURY
•Happens between ages 45-50▫A period called the climacteric = all psychological and physical changes
•Biological change resulting from a sharp reduction in women’s production of the sex hormone : ESTROGEN
•Women stop OVULATING, or producing eggs
Menopause
•Men don’t have an equivalent to menopause, however▫Sperm count is reduced▫Testosterone levels drop
•Most changes experienced by men are psychological▫Expectations vs realities regarding career and family cause stress and
conflict
Men
•Marriage rate in the US is at an all time low, at about 30%. This means that out of 1,000 single women last year, 30 of them married this year.▫Why?
•What are stressors on marriage?▫Finances▫Unresolved problems
•Traditional Marriages
Marriage and Family
• In your mid-20s, new skills and problem solving using complicated strategies have improved. ▫Ability to think long-term, and weigh cause and effect
•As you move to middle age, reactions may slow, but knowledge is built on things already known, a cumulative effect. Thinking flexibly!
• It is important to challenge your mind and discipline yourself to be a life-long learner.
Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death. ― Albert Einstein
Cognitive Changes as We Age
•Most people’s character, or how you approach the world, is largely set by the time you are in the 1st Grade.
•This does not mean that you cannot learn to change your attitude or ability to adapt to new situations.
•Nature vs. Nurture or Biology vs. Environment
Which do you think is a greater influence?
Social and Personality Development
Levinson’s Theory of Male Development
22-28 yrs•Not fully an established man, but not a child.•A conflict between exploring the options of life, and establishing a stable
life pattern.
The Age-Thirty Crisis• Leaving young adulthood•Social pressures in career and relationships•Did I make the best job/marriage/lifestyle choice?•A sense of urgency with time. Does it cause motivating stress, or
despair?
Levinson’s Theory of Male Development
Settling Down & Stability
•A rhythm of life and stability resulting from earlier life choices•A career and/or family routine. “Making it”
Levinson’s Theory of Male Development
•Midlife Transition+▫Another period of questioning.▫What have I been accomplishing?▫What do I do now?
• Generativity – mentoring younger men. Roles may include Scout leader, father, or mentoring someone at work. Passing on wisdom.
• Stagnation – living in the past. May become preoccupied, cynical, or bitter.
Levinson’s Theory of Male Development
•“Ohhhh, man I wish I could go back in time. I'd take state. ”
“How much you wanna make a bet I can throw a football over them mountains?... Yeah... Coach woulda put me in fourth quarter, we would've been state champions. No doubt. No doubt in my mind.”
Uncle Rico
• “Empty Nest” Syndrome
Does your mother talk about life after you and your siblings move out?
Women’s Challenges
•Depression affects EVERYONE in all ages, but it is VERY common in middle-age women.
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)•23% of women in their 40s and 50s take antidepressants, a higher
percentage than any other group (by age or sex)•Women are 2½ times more likely to be taking an antidepressant than
men•The does not vary due to income level
Women’s Challenges
•What do you view as some challenges you will face?•What can you do now to prepare for adulthood post HS?•How will you avoid wasting your life?
Thinking about Adulthood…