Identity Crisis: What It Is, Characteristics And How It Is Treated In Therapy
Consciously and thoughtfully ask yourself the following question: “Why am I here?”
It is clear that the answer is not easy, in fact, it is quite likely that you will ask yourself more questions. You may even have begun to wonder a little about the meaning of your own existence.
Searching for answers to these types of questions may have left you feeling a little unwell. It is normal. The emotions you have felt are what people feel. people who are immersed in an identity crisis. Let’s see what they consist of.
We can describe identity crises as thought patterns and other cognitive processes focused on the meaning of one’s existence , both past and future, marked by a significant level of emotional discomfort and uncertainty. It is a period in which the person has many doubts about themselves, accompanied by feelings of emptiness and loneliness and various questions such as why they are in this world, who they really are and what their vital objective is.
We usually associate these crises with adolescence, a time of profound changes and uncertainty related to the personality and roles of the individual, which are not yet well defined nor do they have guarantees about what their future will be like. The teenager has questions about his sexual orientation, about who he should associate with in high school, what to study in the future, what job he wants to have when he is an adult…
Although they are very common in adolescence, identity crises are not exclusive to this period. We are all going to manifest some of these crises at various times in our lives, especially in periods marked by major changes such as, for example, a new job, having a child, losing a family member or moving. In fact, identity crises are synonymous with evolutionary crises, typical of changing life stages according to models such as those of Erich Fromm or Erik Homburger Erikson.
Usually, these crises are usually temporary. The subject tries different ways to move forward, resolving this internal conflict and ending his identity crisis. However, in some cases they can last too long, giving way to an emotional imbalance so great that it negatively affects the psychological health of the individual. A person mired in a long and deep identity crisis could develop mood problems, such as depression and anxiety disorders.
A diagnostic concept?
Identity crises They usually appear at times of great change and high emotional tension. , such as adolescence, after a romantic breakup or when you lose your job. It is a process full of uncertainty and fear but, in itself, it is not a psychological problem, much less a disorder. As we said, we are all going to manifest an identity crisis at some point and, in most cases, we are going to know how to get through it. However, sometimes it can lead to mental health problems if they last too long or cannot be resolved.
The expression “identity crisis” is a rather colloquial, “street” concept. It is a term that patients or psychologists usually mention to make themselves understood, actually referring to those periods in which a strong life crisis is occurring, loaded with great uncertainty and where one does not know very well where one is going to go. stall. These are moments of deep anxiety, but they can also be loaded with opportunities and progress.
Identity crises occur in transcendental moments of life, moments of change in which, although we do not know exactly what is going to happen, although that does not necessarily have to be something bad nor is it synonymous with any pathology. These are situations in which there is a rethinking of vital issues, having a crisis that can come from something negative, such as a divorce or a health problem, or something positive, such as a job change a new home or having a child.
These identity crises are not disorders or pathologies, but they can lead to one. If the person becomes obsessed with not knowing who exactly he is, not finding answers to his questions and feeling great anxiety and uncertainty about it, he can develop health problems. Anxiety and depression are two emotional states that can appear if the identity crisis has not been satisfactorily resolved over time because the affected person feels great frustration at not being able to figure out their place in the world. .
Identity crises are not a disorder. They lack a diagnostic identity as such and we will not find them as a clinical category in either the DSM-5 or the ICD-11. They are not pathological but if not resolved they could give rise to a mental health problem if the emotional imbalance associated with these questioning processes lasts too long. Likewise, we can find a series of “symptoms” suffered by people who are in an identity crisis.
The main aspect that we find in people in an identity crisis are thoughts about the meaning of their existence, which take center stage throughout the day. The individual verbalizes them with phrases such as “I feel lost, meaningless” or “I don’t know what to do with my life.” These thoughts can be truly intrusive. interrupt you while you are doing your chores and cause great emotional distress.
The person tries to put an end to his or her anxiety by searching for an answer, but does not find it easily, which makes him or her feel lost and directionless. The discomfort interferes with his life, preventing him from doing other things such as going out with friends or practicing his hobbies, since he feels that he must first answer the question “who am I?” He feels empty, alone and misplaced.
The pathological aspect of all this is “getting hooked”, that is, the patient begins to become obsessed with thoughts and feelings. associated with identity crisis. If you give them too much thought it can become counterproductive, leading to the obsession typical in a case of depression, especially if the crisis has lasted longer than it should and the person affected does not have the feeling that there is progress or answers.
As we have mentioned before, identity crises are not a disorder and normality should not be pathologized. Everyone, throughout their existence, experiences an identity crisis at some point, for whatever reason. It may be that we have lost our job, our partner has died or we have had a child, moments of crisis that involve introducing changes in our lives and rethinking who we are and what we do in this world.
However, since the symptoms can cause psychological discomfort and, in the long run, affect our health, Going to a professional to deal with an identity crisis is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone needs help on more than one occasion, and trying to be “strong” by going through a process as complex as an identity crisis without resorting to support from our loved ones or a psychologist can be more bad than good.
Going to the psychologist serves to acquire useful techniques and tools not only to overcome this complex period, but also for those that may come in the future, in addition to being able to better manage our emotions and expectations towards who we are and who we want to become.
People who are experiencing a crisis of this type are usually not very clear about why they feel bad, so consulting a psychologist can help them understand that what makes them feel this way are questions about who they are, questions that the psychotherapist asks them. can help answer them.
