Immortality in Deaf Seniors
One of the positive benefits of obtaining internships is that I get to meet people of various age groups in my community which is essential in developing my education and skills in working with various populations as a future mental health counselor.
Lately, I've been coming across Deaf seniors that I've known for a long time and it's amazing that they are still active even after age 65 and continue to be actively involved in their communities and contribute. I felt this is something worth mentioning to aspire others to live long and healthy and productive lives in their own community.
Included here in this vlog, I presented Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Theory of Development (8 stages) and discussed the 9th stage (Immortality versus Extinction [Old Age 75+]) that his wife, Joan Erikson published in a book ("The Life Cycle Completed") shortly after his death in 1994 at 91.
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18 comments:
Forgot to add, what Erik suggest us to strive for is to obtain a positive identity of self no matter at what age throughout life.
Hi Mike
I agree with you. I have noticed that there are many Deaf Seniors who are still in activity. I am sure you know Deaf people live longer than non Deaf people. I suspect that they keep their own network and friendship in almost unlimited age. I think that benefit Deaf people alot than hearing people. Just my view. What do you think?
Also, they tend to attend Deaf organizations. They have shown their loyality to Deaf community far more than anyone on PLANET.
Oh I realize I forgot to add my name Deafchip below that... I guess I have not used Deafchip much for the past one month! EH!
Hello one month late DeafChip, I agree. A sense of community, loyalty, and participation aka Deaf culture provides a longer and healthy life development. Thanks.
You trying to get into mental health field? Youre gonna need a lot of luck charms because nobody is gonna hire deaf extremists posin as shrinks these days.
This is very interesting, what little I understood. I was recently discussing with someone about life stages and the work Erikson did. I read some of his books on early childhood development when my kids were younger.
I agree a sense of community becomes more important as people age, and I have seen that with my parents who recently moved to a retirement community where they have full lives in clubs.
Two comments--Someone said Deaf people live longer. I do not doubt that would be because of the tight-knit community.
One statistic I keep reading is that deaf have higher incidence of alcoholism, drug abuse and suicide. I don't know if they differentiate between late-deafened and Deaf in these studies, but I would guess the late-deafened are extremely depressed by and large, and so they would skew the statistics (because there are more late-deaf than born deaf).
Your comment about sense of identity is a good observation here-- and so relevant. Because that's EXACTLY what the late-deaf struggle with. Identity. Not knowing where you belong and not feeling safe or accepted anywhere takes a huge toll on one's sense of well-being. Additionally because many of us grew up processing the world around us through sound, when you lose that you almost feel like you're already dead. It's like youre in a room watching everything and everyone through glass. You feel disconnected-- like a ghost of who you were. It's very difficult to over come. The late-deafened don't have established communitites but we do have clubs, which really do help with sense of identity.
I am entering a new developmental stage and feeling like my life is on hold for a bit until I figure it out.
I should read that book.
Kim, I guess having a purpose in life helps unless the ticker says otherwise. It all comes down to attitude and competence that one has.
As for substance abuse, that's a given in any population group. For the general Deaf population, many face inaccessible services like rehab centers and avoiding shame and stigma that the deaf person has to deal with if coming forward as member of a minority group. Have any reference to that statistic?
I believe our identities go thru changes throughout life. C'mon, don't be a ghost (thou u allowed to this month) and press on. You should know by now that I'm Deaf, educated, and I don't drool. ;)
Do you have a hearing family? Don't you feel like a ghost around them? I agree about purpose. I used to be very active in volunteer work. I need to do more of that again.
Good vlog. I learned about the stages from one of my psychology classes last Spring. Also interesting story about Erik's childhood.
I'll get a book soon.
Hi there. Great Vlog. Would like to know if you might consider giving a workshop to the Fremont Seniors at FOG about these later stages. Always good for inspiration and validation of their life experiences and perceptions.
Let me know if interested.
~ LaRonda
Kim, no, I'm from a line of Deaf families. Well, often I feel like a ghost at work or school since I'm the only Deaf person there. Just not think about it too much really but press on and find alternatives in life that works effectively for me. Just get out of that mental rut and focus on productive self.
Lisa, good but I gather the 9th stage wasn't discussed in your class? The book is about Erik's old age not childhood.
Laronda, yea yea, I know. There is so much information I need to digest and prepare considering I have other classes to deal with. I don't work as fast as you do. ;) Perhaps group sessions (I need to do 10 in a year) will do, see see.
I mean the story about Erick's childhood was in other book not this one you mentioned. Yeah, the 9th stage was not discussed in my class. I had been wondering if there was the 9th stage since several people after 65 I know have been very active until you mentioned it.
Lisa, OIC!
Yea mike-- ghost today, angel tomorrow. :-) I am not personally in a mental rut or depressed. I've been going deaf longer than I had perfect hearing. I'm not even sure what it's like to hear everything well anymore. If I could, I would not trade my life experiences for another life, including the deafness.
I am only pointing out differences between deaf, hearing, and Deaf--and how identity shifts when you lose your hearing late in life. Neither Deaf or hearing can relate to the loss of identity, which is a much BIGGER factor in depression than the actual hearing loss. Hearing people are likely to focus on the loss of hearing. Deaf are happy with their inability to hear to the point that they don't even recognize the loss at all.
Hearing loss is not about losing your hearing.
I know that's not what your vlog is about, but you mentioned identity, which is the HUGE hurdle for late-deafened people.
Have a good day. :-)
Kim, "Hearing loss is not about losing your hearing", that is a good way of describing the deafened experience that many Deaf and hearing people probably do not realize. I can see there is a conflict of interest due to polarized life experience. In the vlog I mentioned "identity crisis" which is why Erik set up the 8 stages since he experienced some crisis from his childhood onto young adulthood. I guess it takes a long time for some to feel content. I'm even not there yet!
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