Why am I here? Where am I going? Who am I? These are some questions that a person who is suffering from a mental illness may ask themselves. identity crisis.
Sometimes people, mostly teenagers, go through periods of personal uncertainty with such a high level of obsession that they cause a prolonged anxiety.
What is an identity crisis?
An identity crisis is characterized by a series of thoughts and other cognitive processesPeople going through a crisis are question the meaning of one's own existencethinking about the past and the future, thus adding a emotional discomfort.
It is common for a person who is suffering a crisis wonder why you are in the world, where you are going or who you are. Not knowing who they are or where they are going causes them a difficult to handle obsession.
It is common for this type of crisis to occur in Teenagers, since they are those who are still developing and do not know who they are.that is, his personality and role are not yet defined.
However, this can happen at any age and at any time of existence according to Vanesa Fernández, a psychologist specializing in emotions.
Sometimes it can be given by external factors such as a divorce or layoff of work, and other times for internal factorssimply because the person is in a moment in which they do not feel located and do not know where their life is going.
The identity crisis It is usually temporarywhat's more, it is a emotional imbalance which if treated well can help a person grow mentally.
Nevertheless, If not managed well, it can lead to an emotional imbalance that is difficult to control.In this case, it is common to evaluate the existence of emotional problems that are the basis of the crisis, such as a mood disorder.
Why does identity crisis occur?
As we have mentioned before, an identity crisis does not last a couple of days, but is a extended period of time in which the person asks himself these kinds of questions about his existence. The fact is that this type of life crisis can occur due to various factors:
-Unexpected changes: A divorce, a loss of a loved one, a job dismissal, moving to another country… I mean, strong changes that can mentally unbalance the person.
-Adolescence: It is a stage of personal and physical changes that many teenagers are not prepared to deal with. Going to school, making new friends, integrating into society and creating a new identity are some of the tasks that can be difficult for them.
– Know yourself: It usually occurs when the person has to take a important decision and she doesn't feel ready because he does not know his personal values and is not able to make a clear decision. At that point he enters a loop, since The person feels that he does not know who he is and does not know what decisions to make. which is why he comes into conflict with himself.
Symptoms of an identity crisis
Although the identity crisis It cannot be diagnosed, since it is not considered a disorder.if you can see its clinical manifestation when patients come to the doctor's office. Sometimes it can lead to a disorder such as a depression Therefore, it is advisable to know how to identify the first features.
Since it cannot be diagnosed, it is difficult to know when you are going through a situation like this, but among the most common symptoms are:
- Negative thoughts about their existence. Who am I? I feel unmotivated, nothing makes sense.
- High level of anxiety because of these kinds of thoughts.
- Try to find one answer but without success, he feels lost.
- Feel a discomfort continuous that does not allow him to live his life normally, that is, he does not want to go out, he cannot study or work, he does not know how to make decisions…
- Everything gives him a feeling of loneliness and empty.
- He doesn't know what he wants and that's why can't make decisions.
- Emotional instability. One day good and another bad.
- Feeling of not being prepared to cope with the changes in your life.
Try a free session
Discover how online therapy helps you control anxiety, anticipate crises and acquire the necessary tools to face it from a position of control.
Make an appointment
Consequences
The main problem with suffering an identity crisis is the emotional discomfort that the patient is going through, something that can increase the crisis itself. It is characterized by a Constant feeling of sadness, lack of hope, anxiety and hopelessnessIt is a feeling of negativity that makes everything turn dark.
Furthermore, this is often associated with the irritability of the person, which can lead to problems with their family, friends or partner. It also causes a change in the person's daily functioning, which can lead to problems at work or, if the person is a teenager, academic problems.
When a person suffers a life crisis, the most common thing is that this triggers anxiety and depressionso it is important that Go to a professional quickly before more areas of your life are affected. To do this, the help of family or friends is essential.
How to approach it
When someone goes through an identity crisis the best thing is give yourself time, It is not an easy task and requires patience and effort.To do this, psychologist Marissa Glover mentions some tips that you can follow:
- Perceiving the crisis as an opportunity. We must see the bright side of things, crises are opportunities for people to evolve and although it may be perceived negatively, Crises are good for getting to know ourselves and to realize our ability to deal with things. A crisis teaches us new ways of acting, among other things.
- Have confidence in yourself. Accept and love yourself because that is what is essential to be able to face moments like these that cause us discomfort.
- Setting new goals. If this situation has made you lose your bearings in life and your goals, it is time to grab them again and pursue them. Although it may seem complicated and a little scary, you can also do it. Set new goals that will sow motivation and give meaning to your life. and everything you do.
- Self-discovery. The best thing for these situations is work with a professional to help us get to know ourselves ourselves and know what our values, goals, ideals are…
- Accepting the changes. One has to lose the fear and face those changes, Because if you don't do it, you won't be able to develop or increase your emotional well-being, you'll stagnate again and this time it will be more difficult to recover.
If you think you are going through an identity crisis, In we can help you.