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What Is an Identity Crisis?

An identity crisis is a developmental effect that involves a person questioning their sense of self or place in the world. The concept originates in the work of developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, who believed that the formation of identity was one of the most important conflicts that people face. According to Erikson, an identity crisis is a time of intensive assay and exploration of unlike ways of looking at oneself.

While developing a sense of identity is an of import part of the teenage years, Erikson did not believe that the formation and growth of identity were bars to boyhood only. Instead, identity is something that shifts and changes throughout life as people confront new challenges and tackle different experiences.

What Is Identity?

Identity involves the experiences, relationships, beliefs, values, and memories that make up a person's subjective sense of self. This helps create a continuous self-image that remains fairly abiding fifty-fifty as new aspects of the self are developed or strengthened over time.

Symptoms

It is of import to note that an identity crisis is not an actual diagnosis. Rather, a person going through an identity crunch may find themselves preoccupied with certain questions:

• What am I passionate about?
• What are my spiritual behavior?
• What are my values?
• What is my function in society or purpose in life?
• Who am I? This question may be in full general, or in regards to your relationships, age, and/or career.

While everyone questions their sense of self from time to time, yous may be having an identity crisis if you are going through a big change or stressful time in life and the above questions brainstorm to interfere with your daily life.

It is important to be aware that having negative feelings most yourself or your life can be an indicator of a vulnerability for depression. If you are also experiencing low symptoms such as depression mood, loss of interest, fatigue, and irritability, you should talk to your physician or mental health professional.

How Identity Develops

Researcher James Marcia expanded upon Erikson's initial theory. According to Marcia and his colleagues, the residual between identity and confusion lies in making a delivery to an identity.

Marcia developed an interview method to measure identity that looks at three different areas of functioning: occupational role, beliefs and values, and sexuality. He also identified four different identity statuses that people movement through as they develop their identity.

• Foreclosure condition is when a person has made a delivery without attempting identity exploration.
• Identity achievement occurs when an individual has gone through an exploration of different identities and made a commitment to one.
• Identity diffusion occurs when there is neither an identity crisis nor commitment. Those with a status of identity diffusion tend to experience out of place in the world and don't pursue a sense of identity.
• Moratorium is the status of a person who is actively involved in exploring different identities but has not fabricated a delivery.

Marcia argued that identity crises help people move from 1 condition to another. Nonetheless, people don't necessarily experience each of the statuses in a higher place.

Causes

In Erikson's stages of psychosocial evolution, the emergence of an identity crisis occurs during the teenage years in which people struggle with feelings of identity versus function confusion.

In today's rapidly changing world, identity crises may exist more mutual than in Erikson's day. Such crises often occur in response to a sudden change in a person's life. This may include personal life changes or broader societal events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

People tend to experience them at various points throughout life, especially at points of smashing change, including:

• Beginning a new relationship
• Ending a marriage or partnership
• Experiencing a traumatic event
• Having a child
• Learning about a wellness condition
• Losing a loved i
• Losing or starting a chore
• Moving

Research also suggests that there are a number of factors that tin can influence whether a person experiences what is often referred to as a midlife crisis. Such factors include health bug, stress, and social back up.

Having a mental health condition such as depression, bipolar disorder, and deadline personality disorder may too increase the likelihood of experiencing an identity crisis.

Treatment

If an identity crisis is creating significant distress and interfering with your ability to office normally, your dr. or therapist may recommend some different treatment options. These may include:

• Psychotherapy: Therapy can be helpful for addressing some of the underlying issues that might be contributing to your identity crunch. One approach known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) works to accost the negative thoughts and behaviors that may cause bug with your view of yourself.
• Medication: If your symptoms are accompanied by anxiety or depression, your md may also prescribe medications to help with those weather condition.

Coping

In many cases, there are things that yous tin can practise to help work through an identity crisis on your own. Some things that may be helpful as you lot confront questions about your identity include:

• Exploring your beliefs and interests: When you are questioning your sense of self, it can be helpful to look inward and think almost the things you are passionate about. What are yous interested in? Are in that location things that you no longer similar? Asking questions and exploring new hobbies and interests can be a helpful style to become to know yourself ameliorate.
• Because your goals: Spend some time thinking nearly your goals in life. What practice you want to reach? What types of things bring you the near joy and happiness? An identity crisis might be a sign that some need is not currently being fulfilled, so finding means to satisfy those needs can bring a greater sense of fulfillment to your life.
• Getting support: Having friends and family to lean on can help. A strong social support network is an important part of mental well-existence and can also be a way to gain the feedback and encouragement you demand to feel comfy with your identity. Friends, family members, social clubs, religious groups, team sports groups, and back up groups can also be great places to find the back up that you need.

Press Play for Communication On Dealing With a Crisis

Hosted by Editor-in-Master and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Heed Podcast, featuring University Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey, shares how to handle a crisis. Click below to listen now.

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A Word From Verywell

There'due south a good reason to overcome an identity crunch. Researchers take constitute that those who accept made a strong commitment to an identity tend to be happier and healthier than those who have not.

Exploring different aspects of yourself in the different areas of life, including your role at work, inside the family, and in romantic relationships, tin help strengthen your personal identity. Consider looking inside to figure out the qualities and characteristics that define you and brand you feel grounded and happy, as well as your values, interests, passions, and hobbies.

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Verywell Mind uses only loftier-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial procedure to learn more virtually how we fact-check and proceed our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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2. Fadjukoff P, Pulkkinen L, Kokko K. Identity formation in machismo: A longitudinal written report from age 27 to fifty.Identity (Mahwah, N J). 2016;16(1):eight-23. doi:10.1080/15283488.2015.1121820

3. Chang HK. Influencing factors on mid-life crisis. Korean J Adult Nurs. 2018;thirty(1):98. doi:10.7475/kjan.2018.30.1.98

4. Karaś D, Cieciuch J, Negru O, Crocetti Eastward. Relationships between identity and well-being in Italian, Polish, and Romanian emerging adults. Soc Indic Res. 2015;121(three):727-743. doi:ten.1007/s11205-014-0668-9

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Source: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-an-identity-crisis-2795948

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