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Sara (age 16) joined her school drama club because of her interest in theater and how she loves to express herself while on stage. Realizing acting is one of her strengths, joining the club was one step closer to her aspiring goal of becoming an actress. In Erikson’s fifth stage, identity versus identity confusion, the crisis is between becoming conscious of who they are and what they are capable of to find their identity within society, otherwise experiencing identity confusion.
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Sara (age 27)and John married because of common qualities within professional acting and decided to build their lives together. With similar goals, committing to this relationship would be the best for their future. In Erikson’s sixth stage, intimacy versus isolation, the challenge occurs between putting their established identity at risk by entering a romantically committed relationship, like marriage (intimacy)or holding to oneself to be alone without a close relationship (isolation).
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Sara had passed in the home she shared with her husband of 50 years. When she reflected on her 77 years- knowing she was a successful actor alongside the man she loved, she regretted her decision of not having children and finding happiness of being a mother. In Erikson’s eighth stage, ego integrity versus despair, the crisis is between embracing one’s experiences throughout their life, accepting both good and bad(ego integrity), or having regrets and resentments at this stage of life(despair).
