From time to time, every person asks questions of the following order: Who am I in this world? What is the world to me? What do I want? Where should I go? These questions are asked in an attempt to find your place in the sun. This is a process, development, rethinking. An identity crisis can be defined as a period in which a person is in search of his place in society, his path and individuality. In this state, a person tends to think about his purpose, the meaning of life, and also about making plans for the future. It is often accompanied by an internal conflict in which a person seems to lose contact with his “I” and a clear image of himself. This state is to some extent natural, but if a person gets stuck in it, it can cause anxiety, which can develop into frustration, apathy, and possibly depression. The author of the term “Identity crisis,” German-American psychologist Erik Erikson believed that at every stage of psychosocial development a person goes through an identity crisis. As a result of passing through such periods, a person’s personality is formed. Erikson identified 8 stages: Infancy (from birth to one year). The child develops a general sense of trust. The main condition for this is maternal care. Early childhood (up to three years). The child defends the right to autonomy (eat, walk, wash). If he feels supported by adults, then he develops self-confidence. Through critical remarks, uncertainty and guilt are formed. Age of play (up to 6 years). Erikson believed that at this age a conflict develops between initiative and guilt. Children begin to communicate more with peers and become interested in new things. Controlling parents can cause feelings of guilt. Children overwhelmed by a sense of guilt may show passivity, and in the future - weak motivation to work. School age (up to 12 years). The child leaves the family and begins education. The child’s identity is now expressed in what he was able to learn and what new things he could learn. Youth (up to 19 years old). The teenager asks the following questions: “Who am I?”, “Who do I want to become?” and so on. The task is to collect all the information about oneself available for a given period into a single image (ego-identity). Negative factors and dissatisfaction can lead to a blurred identity. Youth (25 years old). At this stage, the formal beginning of adulthood occurs. Maturity (up to 64 years). The main problem is the choice between productivity and inertia. At this stage, a person develops in all areas of life. The question that people most often ask themselves is: “What do I want to do with my life?” Old age (from 65 years to death). A person makes a decision for himself about whether he has come to terms with his mortality or not, he also accepts his life experience. Sincerely, psychologist Svetlana Kichigina. To sign up for a consultation +7-915-497-19-32 WA, Tg. or come to my telegram channel: https://t.me/Cova_psy.