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Lily's Lost Sense of Self: Identity versus Identity Confusion
Since Lily was a young child, her parents have always wanted her to follow in their footsteps at becoming a doctor and were always strict when it came to her studies. Because of this, growing up she felt very pressured and was not sure if this was truly what she wanted. In Erikson's fifth stage, the crisis is between achieving a strong sense of self and answering the important question of "Who am I?" or the confusion due to the pressure and conformance to others. -
Lily's Decision of Vulnerability: Intimacy versus Isolation
Lily has gone through her fair share of relationships during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Although heartbreak has been hard in her past, she is confident in her sense of self and is ready to settle down with her significant other. She feels as though she is in a good, loving mental state, enough to share that with another person. In Erikson's sixth stage, the crisis is between being vulnerable and allowing love or staying isolated due to fear and a poor sense of self. -
Lily Looks Back: Ego Integrity versus Despair
Lily has just hit her 75th birthday. Looking back at her life, she achieved her goal of becoming a veterinarian working the field for almost 35 years and is now retired, married with one daughter, and currently a grandmother to three beautiful children. She feels as though she has lived a life well spent with no regrets. In Erikson's eighth stage, the crisis is between the feeling of satisfaction of a life well spent or the feeling of despair due to the focus of what could/should have been.