IDENTITY CRISIS: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

An identity crisis is a psychological concept that refers to the difficulty in developing a strong identity at a specific moment in a person's life. In general it is associated with the changes suffered in adolescence, but it can also appear during adult life.

The identity crisis can cause the individual who suffers it to feel that they have to find themselves. Some of the most common symptoms are a lack of self-confidence, indecision about what to do or what to do, or even depression.

The term "identity crisis" was first used by the German psychologist Erik Erikson, who studied the different phases that people go through during our development and maturation.

According to him, in each phase we must be able to answer a question about ourselves that will make us develop a strong identity.

Causes in adolescents

Adolescence is one of the most difficult moments in the lives of many people, and the one in which identity crises occur most frequently.

During this period, both the mind and body of adolescents undergo many changes, and the individual has to find his place in the world now that he is no longer a child.

Therefore, the fundamental question that adolescents ask themselves is who they really are. The lack of an answer to this question is what can lead the young person to develop an identity crisis.

After a childhood relatively devoid of problems, the adolescent begins to suffer a series of conflicts that will make him consider his place in the world and his own identity.

According to Erikson, all these conflicts have to do with the development of the superego, one of the fundamental parts of the mind according to psychoanalysis.

Next we will look at some of the issues that can lead a teenager to suffer an identity crisis.

Choosing a career

During adolescence and early youth, the person must choose what he wants to do. Sometimes it seems that this decision will determine the rest of adult life, so the inability to make a determination on this aspect is one of the most frequent problems at this stage.

Who really is

During childhood, people are more or less determined by what our parents and figures of reference tell us.

However, when we reach adolescence we begin to become aware of ourselves, and we can choose what we want to do, who we want to hang out with or what really defines us.

For this reason, during this stage, many adolescents experiment with different identities, for example, by adhering to a specific urban fashion or tribe.

Sexuality and sexual orientation

Undoubtedly, one of the most profound changes that occurs in adolescence is the sexual awakening of the person. When the adolescent begins to feel sexual attraction to other people, he has to learn to manage this new variable in his life and to attract those who interest him.

On the other hand, sexual orientation can also be another factor in the adolescent's identity crisis.

Even in heterosexual people, it is normal at some point to consider possible same-sex attraction. And in the case of homosexuals and bisexuals, this factor tends to cause an even greater conflict in relation to their own sexuality.

Political affiliation and ideology

During adolescence, young people often begin to take an interest in what is happening in the world. For this reason it is very common that they begin to inquire about politics, economics and social problems.

Many adolescents identify with a social movement during this stage, changing their way of being and acting to adjust to their new ideology.

On the other hand, this new interest in politics and society tends to bring many conflicts with the family and the reference group, often causing outbreaks of rebellion and a feeling of not being understood.

Causes in adults

Despite the fact that identity crises are usually related to adolescence, the truth is that each stage of life brings its own difficulties. Therefore, psychologists also study the causes of identity crises in older ages.

Once the stage of identity formation described in the previous point has been passed, young people and adults have to face new questions about their lives.

If they fail to answer them properly, a new identity crisis may appear that prevents them from feeling fulfilled.

In general, there are two main themes that can cause an identity crisis in adults: the search for intimate relationships and the search for a purpose.

Search for intimate relationships

All human beings need the company of other people, but at the same time we want to be alone and be independent.

These two contradictory forces mean that, during adult life, most of us have to find the middle ground between our own independence and the formation of friendly and loving relationships.

For many people, this issue is a great source of anguish and conflict, being the main cause of identity crises between 20 and 35 years, according to studies on the subject.

Purpose search

The other aspect that an identity crisis can produce in adults is the search for meaning in our lives. Many people, trapped in the routine of day to day, wonder if their existence will always be like this or if there is something else.

This question can cause an adult to feel depressed or confused, or even decide to drop everything and start over somewhere else or in another way. This topic is often related to the so-called "midlife crisis."

Possible solutions

When we go through an identity crisis, it is normal to feel overwhelmed and depressed. However, it is possible to overcome these phases of life and be comfortable with yourself again. Some of the keys to achieve this are the following:

- Accept that what worked before no longer works, and commit to finding a new way to feel good about yourself.

- Take action, to avoid being paralyzed by giving too much thought to what is happening.

- Focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the future or the past. For this, it is very useful to use tools such as meditation or mindfulness.

References

1. "Identity Crisis" in: Britannica. Retrieved on: April 6, 2018 from Britannica: britannica.com.
2. "Identity Crisis" in: Very Well Mind. Retrieved on: April 6, 2018 from Very Well Mind: verywellmind.com.
3. "Identity Crisis" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved: April 6, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.
4. "How to Overcome Identity Crisis" in: AzCentral. Retrieved on: April 6, 2018 from AzCentral: healthyliving.azcentral.com.
5. "Erikson's stages of psychosocial development" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved: April 6, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.