Identity crisis: causes, symptoms and solution

  • Jul 26, 2021
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Identity crisis: causes, symptoms and solution

Not only in adolescence can we experience an identity crisis, the reality is that all people at least Throughout our lives we may experience more than one identity crisis regardless of our age. The identity crisis appears when we reach a point where we do not even know who we are and we ask ourselves over and over again about the meaning of our existence.

In this article from Psychology-Online: identity crisis: causes, symptoms and solution, We are going to explain in detail everything about this interesting topic.

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Index

  1. The concept of identity crisis
  2. Symptoms of the identity crisis
  3. Identity crisis: causes
  4. How to overcome an identity crisis

The concept of identity crisis.

Some of the most common questions we often ask ourselves when we find ourselves in an identity crisis are the following: Who am i reallyWhat do I want or would like to achieve? Where am I going? Etc.

The truth is that somehow everyone at some point in our lives is forced to face these crises because at each stage of our lives we have to face different situations, whether in adolescence, with all the changes that occur at the physical and mental level, the adulthood and having to face new challenges such as job search, in some cases divorce, facing the loss of loved ones, among other things. All this provokes us in its true moment

emotional imbalance, which if well managed can even help us to grow more as people.

Identity crisis: causes, symptoms and solution - The concept of identity crisis

Symptoms of the identity crisis.

Next I will mention what are the most common symptoms of people who are going through an identity crisis. It must be taken into account that all these symptoms, as well as the intensity with which they are experienced, vary from one person to another.

  • Have a feeling of being lost, like aimless
  • Feeling lonely and empty (existential emptiness)
  • Difficulty making decisions because you don't know what you really want
  • Anxiety
  • Not knowing how to solve a problem since the previous methods are no longer effective for your new situation
  • Emotional instability
  • Have the feeling of not be prepared for the changes that you are beginning to have

Identity crisis: causes.

To know well the identity crisis, its causes, symptoms and solutionIt is important to know that a crisis does not only last 1 or 2 days, or even a few weeks. When we are faced with an identity crisis, it implies that we have been going through it for a period determined of time in which one or more of the symptoms mentioned above have been present. As for the main causes that cause a person to start experiencing an identity crisis, there are the following:

  • Unexpected changes. When a person has to go through different changes in his life in unexpected ways. For example, crossing a grieving process for a significant loss, be it some of the parents, a child, etc. A divorce, loss of employment, having to move to live in another country, among many other sudden changes that can appear momentarily in a person's life.
  • Adolescence stage. This stage is extremely prone to identity crises as it is a stage where the person experiences continuous and profound physical, psychological and mental changes. The adolescent, being in an intermediate phase between being a child or an adult, has to develop a new identity and integrate into society, relying on their peer groups.
  • Not knowing yourself well. When personal values ​​are not clear and an unexpected situation occurs, such as having to make an important decision, we We realize that we really did not know ourselves as much as we thought and we enter into conflict since we do not know what we have to make. Knowing oneself also implies knowing our personal values ​​since from them we can make decisions with greater clarity.
Identity crisis: causes, symptoms and solution - Identity crisis: causes

How to overcome an identity crisis.

If you find yourself facing an identity crisis, regardless of how old you are, this series of tips can be of great help to help you cope with this situation. Remember that overcoming an identity crisis is sometimes not an easy task and requires time, patience and even effort.

  • See your identity crisis as an opportunity. Stop focusing solely on the seemingly negative side of the crisis you are going through and improve your perspective on it. You have to be aware that crises are also opportunities to evolve, develop and continue to grow as a person. Crises help us to know ourselves better, to realize that we have more capabilities than we we believe we have, they teach us to know new ways of acting and moving in life, among many other things extremely positive.
  • Work on self-discovery. To get ahead in the face of an identity crisis, it is essential that you start doing introspection exercises and gain more knowledge of yourself. For this you can continuously make reflections about what are your values ​​in life, your beliefs, ideals, goals, etc. It could also help you a lot to get the help of a professional who can guide you to achieve this.
  • Increase your confidence. Learn to accept yourself unconditionally, recognize your worth and your potentials. Self-love and self-confidence are essential to be able to face any type of situation that causes us discomfort.
  • Modify or set new goals. If the situation that has generated the identity crisis has made you lose your direction or direction about what is the you want and desire in life, it is time that you start from there to reevaluate and modify your personal goals. Don't be afraid if you even have to set yourself new goals that had nothing to do with the ones you had. planned at the beginning, it is about finding again those that give you more motivation and meaning to everything you do.
  • Accept the changes. The worst thing you can do is resist the new changes as that will cause you to stagnate more and more. You have to know how to adapt to changes that have been presented to you and those that you are having inside you since it is what will allow you to continue developing and increase your emotional well-being.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Identity crisis: causes, symptoms and solution, we recommend that you enter our category of Cognitive psychology.

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