Having an "identity crisis" seems normal when you reach an age, you may have heard things like: "identity crisis at 40" or things like that. Perhaps knowing this, you have a slight idea of what it means to have an identity crisis, but what exactly is it and why do people experience this type of personal crisis? Is it something that happens only in adolescence or also in adult life?
The concept originates from the work of developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, who believed that identity formation was one of the most important parts of a person's life. While developing a sense of identity is an important part of adolescence, Erikson did not believe that identity formation and growth were limited to adolescence. Instead, identity is something that changes and grows throughout life as people face new challenges and face different experiences… Life is what marks identity in people!
What is an identity crisis?
When a person is suffering from an anxiety crisis it is perhaps because they are not sure of their role in life, they do not know what their real role is in their path. If you think you don't know your role in life then you may be experiencing an identity crisis.
Erik Erikson coined the term identity crisis and believed that it was one of the most important conflicts that people face in their development, and not just in adolescence. According to Erikson, an identity crisis is an epic of intensive analysis and exploration of different ways of looking for oneself.
Erikson's own interest in identity began in childhood. Raised as a Jewish person, Erikson seemed very Scandinavian and often felt that he was an outsider to both groups. His later studies of cultural life among the Yurok of Northern California and the Sioux of South Dakota helped formalize Erikson's ideas about identity development and identity crisis.
The identity
Erikson described the identity as follows:
“A subjective sense, as well as an observable quality of personal similarity and continuity, combined with some belief in the similarity and continuity of some shared image of the world. As an unconscious quality of life, this can be gloriously obvious in a young man who has found himself as he has found his communality. In it we see the emergence of a unique unification of what is irreversibly given, that is, body type and temperament, gifts and vulnerability, childhood models and acquired ideals, with the opening of options provided in available roles, occupational possibilities, values offered, mentors found. , friendships made and first sexual encounters ”. (Erikson, 1970)
In this description of what Erikson does about identity, we can see that it is the "whole" of a person ... what defines her, what marks her way of acting in life, her way of thinking and everything else.
Identity states
In Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, the emergence of an identity crisis occurs during adolescence where people struggle with feelings and an identity emerges in the face of confusion about social roles. It has been James Marcia who has expanded Erikson's theory and according to him and his colleagues, the balance between identity and confusion lies in making a commitment to an identity.
Marcia also developed an interview method to measure identity, as well as four different identity states. This method contemplates three different areas of operation: occupational role, beliefs and values, and sexuality.
Identity states:
- Identity achievement occurs when an individual has gone through an exploration of different identities and has made a commitment to one.
- Moratorium is the status of a person who is actively involved in exploring different identities but has not committed.
- Foreclosure status is when a person has compromised without attempting to explore their identity.
- The diffusion of identity occurs when there is neither crisis nor identity compromise.
Researchers have found that those who are firmly committed to an identity tend to be happier and healthier than those who have not. Those with a state of identity diffusion tend to feel out of place in the world and do not seek a sense of identity.
In today's changing world, identity crises are more common today than they were in Erikson's day. These conflicts are certainly not limited to adolescence. People tend to experience them at various points throughout life, particularly at times of big change, such as starting a new job, the beginning of a new relationship, the end of a marriage, the purchase of a home, or the birth of a son. Explore different aspects of yourself in different areas of life, including your role at work, within the family, and in romantic relationships, it can help strengthen your personal identity.
Symptoms of an identity crisis
Having an identity crisis is not diagnosed so the symptoms do not have to always be the same. Despite this, it is necessary to know some signs to know if it is happening to you:
- You question who you are and how life is going in general for you.
- You experience personal conflicts due to your role in society.
- There have been big changes in your life that are affecting your sense of yourself, such as a divorce.
- You question your values, your beliefs, your interests, or your work life.
- You seek more meaning, reason, or passion in your life because you feel empty or listless.
Questioning who you are is totally normal. Life changes and so do people. It would only become a problem when this crisis affects your thoughts or your daily functioning. Seek support from your family and friends, but if you see that your mood or even your mental health is being harmed, then you will have to consult a professional.