Fulfillment in adulthood : paths to the pinnacle of life

This book is written for those who are entering and traversing midlife, and for their loved ones who are affected by the pleasures and travails of the joumey. Aperiod of profound, often perplexing, and troublesome physical and psychological change, the years between 35 and 65 should be rich and fulfilling, bursting with the very best that life has to offer. But they can be filled with disappointment and disasteranxiety about sex and intimacy, disappointment on the job, serious physical illness, and problems with growing chlldren and elderly parents. Drawing on the latest scientific concepts from the rapidly expanding field of adult development, the information in these pages will provide the reader with the thorough understanding of the biological, psychologieal, and environmental factors required to maximize the pleasure and avoid the pitfalls of this most fascinating time of life. In addition to the factual information, which outlines vii viii Preface the smoothest, most direct paths to adult fulfillment, these pages are filied with brief clinical vignettes and seven detailed case histories which demonstrate that it is never too difficult, or too Iate, to reach for and achieve happiness and fulfillment. As an eminent authority in the field of development, Dr. Colarusso calls on his 30 years of clinical experience to provide us with a thorough understanding of the changing biological, psychological, and environmental conditions that we face throughout our lives. He arms us with knowledge that will help us maximize the pleasures and avoid the pitfalls that each new phase of life brings - particularly the anxieties and disappointments of midlife. Guiding us through a wealth of facts, Dr. Colarusso shows us the smoothest and most direct paths to adult fulfillment. He demonstrates that an enriched, rewarding life is one in which the triumvirate of human experience -love, work, and play - are balanced. By learning from the concepts of this burgeoning science and the detailed case histories - including one of a 70-year-old grandmother - we find that it is never impossible or too late to achieve happiness and fulfillment Front Matter....Pages i-xii Fulfillment through Maturity....Pages 1-7 The Importance of Childhood Experiences....Pages 9-33 Early Childhood....Pages 35-71 Latency and Adolescence....Pages 73-112 It All Begins with the Body....Pages 113-119 Creating New Life....Pages 121-148 The Quest for Sexual Intimacy after Forty....Pages 149-173 Friendships in Adulthood....Pages 175-187 Play in Adulthood....Pages 189-209 Work....Pages 211-235 The Power of Time....Pages 237-260 Wisdom, Maturity, and Fulfillment....Pages 261-285 Back Matter....Pages 287-309 The years between 35 and 65 should be rich and fulfilling, bursting with the very best life has to offer. Unfortunately, for too many people, a life review reveals a series of missed opportunities, bungled relationships, and personal misfortunes. The result is preoccupation with what might have been, not what is possible. To reach a profound sense of fulfillment, one must first comprehend the phases that make up the whole of life The recent, cutting-edge science of adult development offers vital tools to gain knowledge of one's life. Dr. Colarusso - of the world's premier experts in this specialty - draws on the latest scientific concepts in this rapidly expanding field. Separating life into nine phases, he illustrates that only by relating our past and present to the future can we enhance our chances for fulfillment