Integrating the Theory Into Professional Practice

Theory Application

Patrice Scope

SWK/5005

Dominique Spigner

5/29/2022

INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS

I used Levi's instance for my study. Levi is a 35-year-old HIV-positive male who is single and has no children. He is a mechanic who works on automobiles. He lives in a low-income, poverty-stricken area. Levi caught HIV after receiving a blood transfusion after a vehicle accident in which he lost a lot of blood. He was struck by a drunk driver, leaving him paraplegic for a year, but with intensive rehabilitation, he was able to walk again. Levi has been on meds that have prevented the development of HIV to AIDS since realizing he was HIV positive ten years ago, and he is in good health. The emotional toll, on the other hand, has been far higher.

Levi has shied away from the majority of social contacts. He hasn't informed anybody in his family, and he has lost touch with the majority of his pals. He's afraid to notify anybody since he'll feel ashamed and guilty if he spreads the sickness to everyone he comes into touch with. Levi longs for a family of his own, but he is terrified of being in a relationship with anybody. He is apprehensive about having to inform the individual with whom he has a romantic connection that he is HIV positive. He has been able to purchase a variety of anxiety drugs, and he often exceeds the recommended amount. He also has a cocaine problem, which he considers to be his only source of excitement in life. He tends to use it on weekends or as a pick-me-up on his way to work. In the evenings, he takes anti-anxiety drugs to help him relax and sleep. Levi considers ending it all and taking his own life. He believes he has nothing to live for. He's had enough of being an outcast. In what has become an increasingly hollow existence, he feels his life slipping away. Finally, he contacts a counselor to discuss his issues.

PROBLEMS TO BE PRESENTED

Levi has a number of issues to deal with, the first of which being HIV. After being struck by a drunk motorist, Levi caught HIV via a blood transfusion. His drug addiction is another issue he is dealing with. To help him relax and cope, he takes medicines. Because he has HIV, he has also shut everyone out of his life and is hesitant to form new connections. He's depressed and contemplating suicide (Lundahl & Hull, 2014).

Proposals for Understanding and Acceptance of the Selected Theory

Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory is the one that can identify Levi's case study because it understands human behavior and social development. This makes it a strong candidate for the award. Biological and genetic underpinnings of behavior and the way they interact with external forces over time are at the heart of this theory. The theory emphasizes Levi's emotional, physical, and psychological development through its eight stages of development, which are outlined below. Erikson's idea of lifelong learning was perhaps the first and most influential. From birth to death, a person's psychosocial development is reflected in eight stages, each of which can have a positive or negative impact on a person's personality and development. Positive outcomes such as hope or negative outcomes such as retreat may result from the psychosocial hypothesis's initial stage of trust versus mistrust. Mistrust may have played a role in Levi's early tendency to isolate himself from both friends and family. Levi's compulsive behavior, which included a drug overdose and cocaine use, demonstrates the second stage: a sense of self-awareness, guilt, and confusion. Second-stage addiction is characterized by these behaviors. Stages 3 through 6 all promote exclusivity: Initiative and guild; industry vs. inferiority; identity vs role ambiguity; proximity vs isolation; all of which promote exclusivity. Last but not least, Levi's ideas of wasted time, squandered opportunities and his life passing away are represented by the dichotomy between integrity and hopelessness.

Strengths and weaknesses

According to Erikson's theories of psychological development, social development may be broken down into several stages, each of which is explained in great depth. A full understanding of psychological crisis concepts is provided by the theory, which shows the identity crises that people confront throughout their lives. There is a strong connection between the development of one's cognitive structure and one's social and cultural environment, which is why this notion is so important (Lee & Eunyoung, 2016).

There are several issues with Erikson's theory of development, one of which is that it fails to explain the transitions between stages. Many people have a misunderstanding about how culture affects a person's development, and more information is needed to clear up any misunderstandings. Individuality is overvalued with little explanation, and the vast majority of studies indicate that the notion is too Eurocentric. Evidence suggests that the hypothesis is a general plan that emphasizes male development, but this has yet to be proven.

Cultural Competence: Theory and Practice in Harmony

Because a counselor is expected to understand culture and its role in human psychology and society, the stages of this model are critical from a cultural perspective. Furthermore, this concept acknowledges the existence of positive characteristics in all cultures. In order to be nonjudgmental and show respect and understanding, social workers must be aware of a wide range of groups, settings, and difficulties. One of the most important aspects of psychotherapy is to keep things fresh (Freedman et al, 2014).

The Consequences of Human Development and Behavior Theory

Though widely accepted, Erikson's hypothesis is only one possible way to understand psychosocial development. Despite this, many people disagree with Erikson's hypothesis. Levi's sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity had no bearing on his sense of self before he was born. Due to Levi's HIV infection's stigma of being socially undesirable or making moral judgments about someone, he is plagued by anxiety, sadness, and feelings of isolation because of this. This is primarily responsible for the majority of Levi's symptoms.

References

Freedman, D. A., Pitner, R. O., Powers, M. C., & Anderson, T. P. (2014). Using Photovoice to Develop a Grounded Theory of Socio-Environmental Attributes Influencing the Health of Community Environments. British Journal of Social Work, 44(5), 1301-1321.

Georgetown Health Policy Institute. (2004). CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN HEALTH CARE: IS IT IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS? Issue Brief

Number 5. Retrieved from https://hpi.georgetown.edu/agingsociety/pubhtml/cultural/cultural.html

Lee, Eunyoung. (2016). The Cultural Competency for Working with Asian American Clients Scale: Development and Validation. Vol 28, Issue 4, pp. 463 – 474. First Published June 12, 2016. Retrieved from https://doi-org.library.capella.edu/10.1177/1049731516652730

Lundahl, B. W., Hull, G. H., Jr. (01/2014). Applied Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 1st Edition. [Vitalsource]. Retrieved

from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323264508/