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Mary cries when held by her Grandmother
Little Mary is held by her grandmother for the first time and she starts crying. She doesn't feel safe in anyone's arms except for her parents'.
Erickson's first stage, trust vs. mistrust.
For the 3 months of her life she's been around her parents only and she learned to trust them. But new people, even relatives, are a challenging unknown which she hasn't built trust in yet. -
Mary gets her first kiss at 16
Mary is hanging out with a couple of girlfriends form school. Later that night when things get more relaxed Mary and one of the girls kiss. Mary without thinking about before starts to feel emotions toward girls.
Erickson's fifth stage identity vs. confusion
Teenage years are when one develops a personal identity. Mary si starting to learn about feelings and how they affect who she is. -
Mary's friend gets married
Mary goes to her best friend's wedding, but instead of being happy for her she starts to feel depressed. She has had a couple of relationships, but now she's been single for 4 years. At the age of 38 she's living alone.
Erickson's 7th stage: generativity vs stagnation
Even though Mary has a steady job she feels stuck in her life. Without children and husband she has nothing to care for except her work. There are no big accomplishments that would make her feel successful