the journey through adulthood

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…