Emerging Adulthood and Recovery Work at Passages to Recovery

Bryan Thomas, MAI

Within the age range of twelve to eighteen, the developmental theorist Erik Erikson identified the psychosocial crisis of ego identity versus role confusion. Dr. Erikson defined ego identity as knowing who you are and how you fit in, molding what you have learned into an integrated self-image. In order to avoid role confusion at this stage, it is important to recognize the significance of the transition taking place from childhood into adulthood. One means to foster this recognition is a rite of passage. At Passages To Recovery, we use rites of passage to assist our clients to find their own adult answer to the question, “Who am I.”

In adolescence, one is looking toward role models and the significant relationships are peer relations. The dynamic function of this stage is to be one’s self and share one’s self. Erickson believed that in adolescence a psychosocial moratorium occurs, where time is taken to explore new social roles without taking on adult commitments.

Jeffery Arnett insists the duration of this period, this moratorium, is lengthening significantly. “During the past half-century, the transition to adulthood has become increasingly prolonged in virtually every post industrial society” (Arnett, 1998). Young people are unable to achieve economic freedom from their parents and they stay in school much longer. They postpone the adult life events of marrying and having children. This postindustrial transition into adulthood can last until the mid-twenties, constituting a new developmental period, called “emerging adulthood,” the time between adolescence and adulthood, from 18 to 25 years of age (Arnett, 1998).

“In the theory of emerging adulthood proposed by Arnett, identity issues have a prominent role (Schwartz, S., Cote, J., and Arnett, J., 2005).” If one is going to undertake the task of choosing a career path and making life commitments, one must form a stable and strong sense of identity that can guide and sustain these commitments. Some individuals find this prolonged period of identity formation difficult to navigate without guidance. Symptoms of addiction may emerge in the lives of those who struggle with their identity as they begin to leave home, go to college, and step into their personhood outside the parental umbrella.

Schwartz, Cote, and Arnett argue that individuals may capitalize on this extended time to explore identity issues later into life, with more choices to consider. “The unstructured nature of emerging adulthood, the vast array of potential identity choices, and the lack of external guidance has made identity development a personal project for many emerging adults and may require the exercise of agency, a sense of responsibility for one’s life course, the belief that one is in control of one’s decisions and is responsible for their outcomes, and the confidence that one will be able to overcome obstacles that impede one’s progress along one’s chosen life course,” (Schwartz, S., Cote, J., and Arnett, J.,2005).

Life events structured in post industrial society, such as marriage, gender roles, and religious beliefs, are left up to the individual to decide. Without cultural or religious pre-determination, individuals must take personal responsibility for the formation of their identity and the undertaking of their interpersonal and societal roles, and make sense of the consequences of their actions and decisions. Failure to do so leaves the individual vulnerable to social and economic forces which may become overwhelming. This coupled with unresolved developmental tasks result in poor choice making and maladaptive coping strategies.

At Passages To Recovery, we see how easily this failure translates in substance abuse and chemical dependency. The neurobiological response to the ingestion of many substances is a heightened sense of capability, well-being and euphoria. Seeking this state of being through substance abuse rather than the resolution of developmental tasks leaves an emerging adult’s innate resources depleted, including their natural health and vitality.

Passages To Recovery’s program, which weaves rites of passage work and addiction recovery, can benefit those who struggle with addiction, and with the greater freedoms of identity choice. We help emerging adults utilize this extended period of time to mature and to choose a life path deliberately. “Emerging adults who address these issues in a proactive and agentic manner may be most likely to form a coherent sense of identity that can then be used to guide their life paths and negotiate for social resources and positions” (Schwartz, S., Cote, J., and Arnett, J.,2005).

The Passages To Recovery program is designed to provide the external structure necessary to foster a proactive agentic approach, assisting young adults in bringing themselves into conscious adulthood with a willingness to take responsibility for themselves and the quality of their lives.

References

Arnett, J. (1998). “Learning To Stand Alone: The Contemporary American Transition to Adulthood in Cultural and Historical Context” Human Development. Vol.41. pp 295-315.

Arnett, J. (2003). “Conceptions of the Transition to Adulthood Among Emerging Adults in American Ethnic Groups” New directions for child and adolescent development. pp.100, 63-75.

Schwartz, S., Cote, J., and Arnett, J. (2005). ”Identity and Agency in Emerging Adulthood: Two Developmental Routes in the Individualization Process” Youth and society. Vol. 37 No.2 pp. 201-229.