An identity crisis usually comes as the result of some kind of ‘shock’ whether positive or negative. Often, when we go through major life transitions, we’ll undergo some degree of identity crisis.
Because our human identities (also known as our egos) are based on beliefs, ideas, memories, and identifications, anything that challenges these mental stories or renders them obsolete, creating a kind of ‘fracture’ or fissure that shatters our self-concept. An identity crisis is the result.
Common causes of an identity crisis can include the following:
- Moving / migrating
- Experiencing the death of a loved one
- Entering a new relationship or getting married
- Having a baby and becoming a parent
- Getting a new job
- Losing your job
- Falling ill or getting injured
- Retiring
- Experiencing a spiritual awakening
- Going through a soul crisis
- Having an midlife crisis
- Facing mental health issues
Signs of a Identity Crisis:-
- You feel dissatisfied with your life
- You lack a sense of direction or purpose
- The way you once thought about yourself and your life now seems false, dead, or pointless
- You don’t know what you want or need any longer
- You question the meaning of life
- The world feels extremely big/overpowering, and you feel extremely small/impotent
- You feel anxious, depressed, or restless
- You constantly mistrust or doubt yourself
- You feel ungrounded, floaty, and disoriented (mentally, emotionally, physically)
- Your life doesn’t feel like it’s your own
- You feel lost and isolated
You might experience all of these signs or just a few of them – it doesn’t matter how many you do or don’t resonate with; what counts is whether or not you feel like you’re going through an identity crisis.