In 1950, a German-American psychoanalyst, Erik Erikson published a theory by the name “Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development.” In this theory, he introduced eight stages that describe a human’s social development from birth to 65 years old. His theory describes the necessities and results of each stage while explaining their effects on the human mind.

A new author, Charles L. Blanchard, has published a book based on this theory. In his book, “the seeds of self-destruction or SUCCESS,”he describes his life in light of at least three stages of Erikson’s theory. His story is a spitting image of what life would be like if the stages of psychosocial development were left unfulfilled. Throughout his life, the author missed out on necessary connections, and his book is a collection of such stories. Through his book, he wants to ensure that no one else would have to go through similar experiences as him.

Results of Lacking Psychosocial Development

Without proper psychosocial development, people face various hurdles while progressing in life. Similar is the case with the author. Due to the early betrayals in his life, his character development took longer than necessary. As a result, he often fell behind his peers, struggled with his identity, and even had conflicts with his faith.

First Stage: Trust Versus Mistrust

At the time when children are dependent on parents, Blanchard found himself on the short end of the stick. During his early age, his father was abusive, beating his mother and him up for the smallest of reasons. The man who should have been the author’s hero became his worst nightmare.

This abuse from his father made it hard for him to trust others. Consequently, this prevents him from trusting new people and making friends. Since he never had the chance to build trust with his parents, he mistrusted everyone.

Second Stage: Autonomy Versus Shame/Doubt

Early on, the author knew that he was gay. However, the discrimination and scrutiny from his surroundings had him question himself. Because of the public’s blatant non-approval of the LGBT+ during the author’s childhood, he had to hide his true self. People made him feel ashamed of himself, as if there was something wrong with him.

This behavior from the people around him left a devastating cost. He had to wait a very long time before being able to explore his true self.

Third Stage: Initiative Versus Guilt

The author’s father was the biggest source of abuse in his life. Against his father, all that Blanchard could do was take his beatings without complaining. Since there was nothing he could have done, he never learned to assert his control. On the other hand, he felt guilty because many times, his mother came to save him and got hurt, too.

Conclusion

Throughout his life, Charles L. Blanchard faced a lot of problems because he lacked psychosocial development. Regardless, as he grew older and self-mentored himself for social development, he overcame the demons of his life. In his book, “the seeds of self-destruction or SUCCESS “ he details how he was able to fulfill the lack of social skills and bring his life back on track.

The book “the seeds of self-destruction or SUCCESS “ further explains Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Get a copy from the author’s website to understand more.