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My Independence: Autonomy v. shame and doubt
At the age of 3, I was in love with drawing and coloring. My mother had always helped me pick our colors, but at this age, I wanted to be able to pick them out myself. In Erikson's second stage, Autonomy v. shame and doubt, the crisis is between getting help and relying on others and being self-dependent. -
The Feeling of Guilt: Initiative v. Guilt
At the age of 8, I would break things or hide things around the house, and when my parents went looking for them I would blame it all on my older sister. I eventually started to feel bad after a while of doing this and stopped. In Erikson's third stage, the crisis is figuring out if what they are doing overall is good or bad. -
Building Who I Am: Identity v. Identity Confusion
When I was 11, I made the decision to drop some of my friends for how they were treating me. I needed to be my own person and not let my friends boss me around. In Erikson's fifth stage, Identity v. Identity Confusion, the crisis is figuring out who you are going to become on your own, not through the influence of others. -
Experience with Relationships: Intimacy v. Isolation
At this age, I decided to get into a relationship that lasted 2 years. After that relationship, I contemplated if a relationship was really something for me, or if I would rather play it safe and not commit like that. Erikson's stage six, Intimacy v. Isolation crisis is all about either establishing a close relationship or maintaining distance.