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Trust vs. Mistrust
A 6-month old baby feels anxious around many people. He was presented a favorite toy by an adult and starts to feel more comfortable around them as they spent more time together. In Erikson's first stage, trust versus mistrust, the crisis is between being able to trust a person and feel comfortable with them or feeling anxious and scared having no trust in the person at all. -
Identity vs. Confusion
Cody (15 years old) is questioning himself about who he is. He compares himself to other people but can not figure out who he is or where he can fit in. In Erikson's fifth stage, identity versus confusion, the crisis is between self expiration in finding ones' unique self or being unsure of where to fit in society and confused or disappointed with ones' place in life. -
Integrity vs. Despair
Taj is taking his last breaths when he has a flashback of all his memories and smiles as he remembers meeting his wife and creating a beautiful family. He had no regrets when he passed. In Erikson's eight-stage, integrity versus despair, the crisis is between acceptance and satisfaction with their life, feeling at peace, living with no regret or feeling wasted and hopeless, having many regrets and worries over mistakes realizing that it is too late to fix.