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Are You Having an Identity Crisis?
You may not recognize it for what it is, but it’s more common than you realize.
Who are you? That’s a common question people ask and get asked in many different contexts. Usually, you can answer with your name.
A more complicated question is, Who am I? I know that as I have explored my life and worked to grow, learn, and change, the answer to that question has shifted over time. More than that, though, just being able to answer that question, for some people, is even more complicated.
For example, someone I care a lot about has spent most of their life as one of three people. They have either been “so-and-so’s sibling” or “so-and-so’s spouse” or “so-and-so’s parent.” That is how this person has been identified most of their life.
Several things have happened in that person’s life over the last year or so that have shaken them to their core. The result, though I don’t think they have quite reached this conclusion themselves yet, is that they are learning they do not know the answer to the question — Who am I?
This is not an uncommon occurrence. Often it’s rather benign, as you get associated with people and groups and such along the way. But when that identity overwhelms you and becomes you, it can cause crisis down the line.
