Our biological, psychological and environmental self

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The Self
Part 21 - Our biological, psychological and environmental self

Another way of looking at ourselves is that we are the sum of our biological make-up, including our genes and everything connected to our physical health: our psychology, including the way we think, feel and act, our personality and how we process all our experiences; and all the social stuff, such as our culture, our community, our society – in essence, the world we live in.

Maybe we started life with good physical health and good parenting, in a good neighbourhood. Maybe we didn’t. Maybe we are more defined by one of the three factors more than any other. Maybe it’s useful to take a look at a case study and then answer some questions about ourselves using these factors as an outline (which is sometimes referred to as the bio-psycho-social model).

SD case study: Catrina’s rollercoaster ride

Catrina grew up in poverty. In her younger years, every day for her was a struggle for survival. There were gangs of people on her estate that wouldn’t think twice about inflicting violence on anyone younger or weaker than them. Her parents often left her home alone with limited food supplies – or had drinking parties that went on into the small hours. She became pregnant at the age of fifteen. During her first antenatal check-up she was found to have malnutrition, asthma and chronic anxiety, and was immediately taken into care. She was then fostered by a couple who fed her well and who didn’t shout at her or keep her awake at night. The house they lived in was clean and tidy, and nearby there was a park. Catrina took walks around the neighbourhood. She could not believe that there was no one in the district who wanted to stab her or throw a brick at her.

For the first time in her life, Catrina saw that there was an alternative way of living that didn’t have to involve constant stress. For the next two years, she had nothing to do with her old life and concentrated all her efforts into mothering her child and educating herself at a nearby college. At eighteen she was taken out of care and given her own flat in a different estate – one that was just as rough as the one she grew up in.

All too soon Catrina felt anxious, isolated and depressed. The local authorities were worried about her parenting, and eventually took her child away from her. For the next ten years she brought four more children into the world, and each one was taken away from her. At one point, she tried to kill herself and was taken into a psychiatric unit.

During her time in recovery she met people who gave her the confidence and ability to work out how her past was shaping her future. Over three months she mapped out how her new life was going to be. She would complete her formal education. She would get a job. She would learn a language – and at the earliest opportunity she would leave the country and start again somewhere else.
Catrina’s biological factorsCatrina’s psychological factorsCatrina’s environmental factors
Survival instinct
Malnutrition
Asthma
Urge to reproduce
Anxiety
Stress
Depression
Resilience
Motivation
Dysfunctional parents
Poverty
Violence
Stability
Isolation
The local authorities
Psychiatric unit
Q: Would it be useful for you to chart your own bio-psychosocial world – either currently or at different points in your life?

My biological factors
My psychological factors
My environmental factors

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