“Who AM I?” “How Do I Fit?”
During adolescence the transition from childhood to adulthood is most important. Children are becoming more independent, and begin to look at the future in terms of career, relationships, families, housing, etc. The individual wants to belong to a society and fit in. This is Erikson’s 5th stage in Emotional Development where the adolescent will re-examine their identity and try to find out exactly who they are. They are attempting to answer the questions, “Who AM I?” “How Do I Fit?”
We introduced you to the Stages of Emotional Development and Mother loss in an earlier blog. We also have written about the 0-6 years and age of loss and the 6-12 years and age of loss. Basically, the concept is:
Age of loss + Stage of Emotional Development + the ability of our caretaker or support system to allow us to grieve our loss = Long term adult adaptability. In other words, how emotionally balanced, centered, and adaptable we are as adult.
Let’s talk about adolescents who experienced mother loss through death or absence from 13-18 years of age. Of all stages of human development, the adolescent stage has the most emotional developmental tasks to accomplish. When we think of adolescence, the entire stage can be summed up as creating a sense of balance. It is about losing and regaining our equilibrium. We have all been there. Think of each of these developmental tasks being on a continuum. The developmental goal of this stage is to create balance, so somewhere in the center is where we want to be as we exit adolescence. However mother loss during this stage can result in us being stuck in an extreme, on either end. Here are some of the Developmental Tasks that an adolescent has to conquer and can be halted by experiencing mother loss during the ages of 13-18. If you experienced mother loss in your adolescence, circle what you relate to.
When a woman has experienced mother loss during this stage, she may spend a great deal of time trying to look “normal” to the outside world. This is common adolescent behavior, but a motherless daughter often works harder at trying to maintain her aura of competence and control. The more composed a teen that has experienced mother loss appears, the greater the risk of experiencing long term, unresolved grief.
Jane shared when she went back for her high school reunion, a fellow classmate expressed, “I always wanted to be you. You just had it all. A cheerleader, homecoming queen, popularity.” When Jane told her classmate her mother had died when she was a sophomore and she did not have a father, the classmate was shocked. “I never knew.” She responded. “You always acted as if everything was wonderful in your life.”
Adolescents will also try to manufacture a new identity that exists independent of her loss.
Susan went away to college after her mother died. Her sister went to visit her in college and no one even knew Susan had a sister or that her mother had died. As Susan and her sister grew into adulthood, they became estranged and eventually got reconnected. Her sister shared that it was a shame that Susan and she were not connected for all of these years. Susan responded that she had closed the door on that chapter of her life and her sister was part of that. She had worked hard to manufacture a new identity.
These women often become mini-mothers to father and other siblings. They are expected to pick up the roles that the mother did previously. Faced with this kind of responsibility, they may become overachievers and become exhausted or may get into a bad relationship or run away. They have to grow up fast; they aren’t able to be a kid.
Sally shared, “I wanted to get out of there (home) as fast as I could. I could not be mom, nor did I want to. I held onto the first guy who paid attention to me and wanted to marry me. It only lasted a few years, and those years were horrible.”
All of the struggles of adolescence lead up to a very important life transition. At the end of adolescence, a developmental process takes place called “Individuation.” This is a normal part of human development when the adolescent separates from the mother and begins to form her own identity. If mother loss occurs at anytime before the end of adolescence, the individuation process is halted and does not take place.
Our next blog will be dedicated to the Individuation Process, mother loss, and what that may look like in adults. This is eye opening. Don’t miss it!
If you have experienced mother loss from the ages of 13-18, can you relate to any of these themes as an adult? How does this play out in your adult life? Where are you stuck? Are there ways that you act as an adult that connect with these themes?
Share your stories.