Exploring Erickson's Psychosexual Epigenetic Stages

Erickson’s Psychosexual Epigenetic Model In childhood, sexual development undergoes three phases each which mark the strong libidinal of a vital zone of the organism as mentioned by Erickson. The oral phase involves respiratory and the sensory stage. The anal phase involving the urethral and the muscular stage. The phallic phases involves the genital and locomotor stage. The 8 stages of personality are both psychosexual and epigenetic. It is psychosexual in the Freudian sense of the term and epigenetic in the sense of unfolding in a genetically predetermined way. Each stage is characterized by a psychosexual problem or a crisis. Each crisis is brought by an increasing physiological maturity. The results become in greater demands by parents

The psychological crisis at this stage is basic trust versus basic mistrust. This stage occurs between birth and approximately1 ½ years of age. According to Erikson, the trust versus mistrust stage is the most important period in a person’s life. The radius of significant relations revolves around the maternal person in which, is usually the mother. The ego strength is this stage is hope. The syntonic potential is basic trust and the dystonic antithesis is mistrust. The child will experience both and if the basic trust predominates the ego strength of hope emerges and if mistrust predominates than withdrawal emerges. The ego strength of hope is associated with the binding ritualization of numinous for example, the sense of the hallowed presence of the mother but if antipathy emerges it's associated with the ritualization of idolism. In application to Donald Silva, he displays a ritualism that in the stage of infancy is related to idolism and in Silva's case this emergence leads to withdrawal. Silva has withdrawn from society because all his energy is being focused around the young boys. Silva does not go anywhere or do anything that the outcome does not lead to a relationship with the little boys. Even in Silva's career he specializes in pediatrics he is consistently surrounded by little boys in which, he even mentions being involved in some sexual

The psychosexual crisis at this stage is autonomy versus shame or Doubt. This typically occurs when the child is 1 ½ to 3 years of age. The syntonic potential is autonomy and the dystonic antithesis is shame and doubt. According to Erickson, the child is discovering skills and abilities such as putting on clothes and shoes. These skills illustrate the child's growing sense of independence and autonomy. The aim has to be self-control without a loss of self-esteem. Success in this stage will lead to the ego strength of will. If the child is overly controlled and not given the opportunity to assert themselves they will begin to feel inadequate in their abilities and may become overly dependent upon others and feel a sense of shame or doubt in their own abilities that may lead to the basic antipathies of compulsion. In application to Donald Silva, he shows the basic ego strength of will because he is able to independently care for his needs and wants without any dependency on other individuals. Silva knows what he wants, in this case, the relationship with the little boys and follows through with his will to obtain what he needs. For example, with one of the little boys who didn't want any sexual relations with Silva. Silva still had the will to continue nourishing that relationship without the guarantee of any outcome this