Identity Crisis during Adolescence
A period between the age of 11 to 19 years is referred to as the period of adolescence. During this period, adolescent often indulges in exploratory self-analysis and self-evaluation. He or she searches for his/her identity: “Who am I?”.
Search of Identity in Adolescence:
- This search involves new way of thinking about oneself which emerges during adolescence. This process involves the exploration and testing of alternative ideas, beliefs and behaviors.
- The identity search is also greatly affected by parents, peers, school and neighborhoods.
- This search for identity begins with the child's awareness that he is separate and unique individual. He recognizes that he is not the same as others in his group or surroundings.
- At the age of adolescence, a child does not want to be defined by his parents. The child wants to break his childhood identity attached with his parents, and wants an independent identity.
- The choices made by the adolescents are often affected by their role models.
What is Identity Crisis?
Erikson states that an identity crisis is a time of intensive analysis and exploration of different ways of looking at oneself. The struggle between the feelings of identity versus role confusion is the point of identity crisis.
James Marcia did further work on Erikson's theory. According to him, identity involves the adoption of: (i) Sexual Orientation.
(ii) Set of values and deals
(ii) A vocational direction
In the interviews with young people, Marcia asked the participant.
(i) Whether he had established a commitment to an occupation and ideology.
(ii) Whether he had experienced or was experiencing a decision-making period?
On the basis of the replies to the above, following four statuses were indicated by James Marcia:
(1) Foreclosure: Some adolescents make a commitment to an occupational future. They may have conformed to the expectations of their parents and peers without exploring alternative options. For example, in India, many adolescents listen to their parents who want them to be doctors or IIT engineers. Now, without exploring whether they have aptitude for better careers, they decide to go with their parental wish.
Apart from vocation, some adolescents make commitment to certain political ideologies and religious or ethnical values on the basis of views of their parents and peers without exploring or thinking over all the available options. Most of the adolescents are also committed about their sexual orientation as a heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian or asexual or bisexual.
The adolescents in the above category do not face any identity crisis as there is no evaluation self-exploration or self- evaluation.
(2) Diffusion: In this status are the adolescents who have neither made a commitment nor they have tried to explore the options available to them. They have not made any attempt to do so too.
As we often see, many adolescents think that they will take an appropriate decision about their vocation or other values and beliefs after passing out of the college.
The adolescents with the status of diffusion too do not experience any identity crisis.
(3)Moratorium: In this status are the adolescents who are still exploring various alternatives but they have not yet made a decision. They have however gone ahead with the process of identity formation and are experiencing identity crisis.
(4) Achievement: In this status are the adolescents who have faced the identity crisis but have finally made the decision about their identity in the matter of vocation, values or sexual orientation.
To sum up, a well-developed identity gives a sense of one's strength, weaknesses and individual uniqueness while a person with less defined identity is not able to define his strength and weaknesses and does not have well-articulated self-concept.
Need for treatment of Identity Crises in Some Cases:
If the identity crisis is leading to distress and is interfering with the day-to-day functioning of a child, professional help may be needed as under:
- Psychotherapy: Sometimes a therapy may be needed to address some underlying illness which may be contributing to abnormal degree of stress caused due to identity crisis. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) may be of help in such cases.
- Group Therapy: Group therapy can also be useful for dealing will abnormal stress amongst of group of adolescents due to identity crisis.
- Medication: If the identity crisis is accompanied by anxiety or depression, anti-anxiety or anti-depressants, as suitable, may be prescribed by a doctor.
