Identity Crisis: Causes in Adolescents, Adults and Possible Solutions

A identity crisis it is a psychological concept that refers to the difficulty to develop a strong identity in a specific moment of 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 to feel that he has to find himself. Some of the most common symptoms are lack of self-confidence, indecision about what to do or what to do, or even depression.

The term"identity crisis"was used for the first time 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 complicated 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.

Below we will see 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 they want to dedicate themselves to. 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 of this stage.

Who you really are

During childhood, people are more or less determined by what our parents and reference figures tell us. However, when we reach adolescence we begin to become aware of ourselves, and we can choose what we want to do, with whom we want to get together or what really defines us.

That is why during this stage many teenagers experiment with different identities, for example, by adhering to a specific urban fashion or tribe.

Sexuality and sexual orientation

Without a doubt, one of the most profound changes that occurred in adolescence is the sexual awakening of the person. When the adolescent begins to feel sexual attraction for other people, he has to learn to manage that new variable in his life and to attract those who arouse interest.

On the other hand, sexual orientation can also be a factor in the identity crisis of the adolescent.

Even in heterosexual people, it is normal to consider at some point a possible attraction for people of the same sex. And in the case of homosexuals and bisexuals, this factor tends to provoke an even greater conflict in relation to one's own sexuality.

Affiliation and political ideology

During adolescence, young people often begin to be interested in what happens in the world. For this reason it is very common for them to begin to inquire about politics, economics and social problems. Many teenagers identify with a social movement during this stage, changing their way of being and acting to adjust them to their new ideology.

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

Causes in adults

Although identity crises tend to be related to adolescence, the truth is that each stage of life brings its own difficulties. Therefore, psychologists also study the causes of identity crises at older ages.

Once the stage of identity formation described in the previous point has been completed, young people and adults have to face new questions about their lives. If they fail to answer them properly, it is possible that a new identity crisis will 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 cause that, during adulthood, 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 topic is a great source of anguish and conflicts, being the main cause of identity crises between 20 and 35 years, according to studies on the subject.

Search for purpose

The other aspect that can produce an identity crisis in adults is the search for a meaning for our life. Many people, caught in the routine of everyday life, wonder if their existence will always be this way or if there is something else.

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

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 return to being comfortable with oneself. Some of the keys to achieve this are the following:

- Accept that what worked before no longer serves, and commit to find a new way to feel good about oneself.

- Take action, to avoid being paralyzed by giving too many turns 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 on: 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 on: April 6, 2018 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.