Reading time: 5 minutes
Identity development is a complex process in which individual shapes their unique sense of self. It is particularly important during adolescence and early adulthood, as it forms the foundation of self-esteem, interpersonal relationships and life choices. Traumatic experiences can negatively influence this process, causing disruptions or delays along the path. This article examines how different types and severities of trauma influence the process of identity formation. Moreover, how emotional regulation and meaning making affect this process.
The disruptive role of trauma in the process of identity development
Adolescence is a crucial period for identity development. According to Erikson’s model, during the years of adolescence, the main crisis individuals go through is “identity vs role confusion”. If successfully resolved, leads to cohesive and clear sense of self, which further positively impacts many areas of life. However, trauma can significantly disrupt this process, resulting in the role confusion. Going though traumatic experiences, may lead to confusion about one’s core beliefs, roles and values, shaping an unclear sense of self.
Trauma can manifest through various forms of identity disruption, such as identity delay, threat, or loss. Identity delay refers to inhibited or stalling identity formation, often due to lack of safety or stability to explore oneself. Identity threat is a perceived threat to one’s identity, which can be external (trauma) or internal. Identity loss refers to a breakdown of current identity structure due to traumatic event, which leads to a loss of certain identity parts.
Event centrality and the meaning making process
Event centrality is one of the reasons behind the diverse influence of trauma on individual’s identity. It is the degree to which traumatic experience is central to one’s sense of self. High event centrality is correlated with stronger emotional responses and greater risk for psychopathology, particularly Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), after the traumatic event. Nevertheless, when individuals derive meaning and resilience from the event it can lead to post-traumatic growth. Therefore, identity is not only influenced by trauma, but it also shapes how person interprets the traumatic event. Beliefs, such as “I am a survivor” or “This event had a deeper meaning” impacts the way of processing this adversity. Identity thus plays a role of filtrating the trauma, reducing or exacerbating its psychological consequences.
Narrative construction plays a crucial role in this process. Individuals who use adaptive self-reflection to process their trauma are more likely to integrate it into a consistent identity. On the other hand, ruminative brooding may result in fragmented self-concepts and unresolved identity distress.
Trauma and identity in emerging adulthood
Emerging adulthood is a period between 18 to 29 years old and is characterized by active exploration, instability, and evolving sense of self. During this life stage many individuals report history of their first traumatic events.
Three identity profiles can be distinguished: coherent, undifferentiated, and diffused. Coherent identity is correlated with high commitment to roles and values, active and constrictive identity exploration, and low levels of ruminative exploration. Diffusive identity is characterized by low levels of commitment, high ruminative exploration and generally little progress in identity development. Undifferentiated identity relates to moderate levels across all identity processes, resulting in neither strong commitment nor rumination. General trauma exposure is not strongly predictive of identity type. However, severe trauma, such as sexual abuse, is more likely to be associated with diffused identity.
Diffused identity is linked to lower self-esteem, higher anxiety, depressive symptoms, and difficulties forming stable interpersonal relationships. Therefore, type and severity of trauma are crucial factors shaping the identity.
Childhood trauma and emotional regulation
Early childhood experiences, especially trauma, create deep roots for the trajectory of identity development. Childhood trauma (CT) significantly increases the risk for identity diffusion in adolescence and adulthood, particularly together with emotional dysregulation.
Emotional regulation is the ability to understand, manage, and express emotions appropriately. The development of these skills can be disrupted by early trauma. Furthermore, emotional abuse or neglect during childhood influence children’s self-awareness, empathy, and behavioral control. This may negatively impact their ability to contract a stable and confident sense of self.
Emotional regulation difficulties act as a mediator between childhood trauma and identity confusion. Therefore, unresolved emotional patterns caused by early trauma can persist into later stages of identity development. Identity confusion has been also associated with higher rates of psychiatric diagnoses, self-harm, and suicidal ideation, which suggests a significant consequence of identity disruptions on mental health and overall well-being.
Resilience and purposeful self
Despite many negative consequences that trauma can cause, it can also lead to a powerful transformation. Reactive development is a phenomenon when individuals channel their suffering into meaningful pursuits, finding greater purpose, clarity, and agency from the traumatic events. For example, a person becoming a therapist after surviving abuse or spreading a word about social justice after experiencing discrimination.
Furthermore, trauma-related identity strengthening can lead to greater social well-being, life purpose, and future orientation. However, whether trauma will have a destructive or transformative role depends on access to social support, reflective ability, emotional regulation skills, and opportunities for meaning making.
Conclusion
The relationship between trauma and identity is bidirectional, complex, and contextual. Traumatic events can significantly disturb the process of identity development, particularly when they occur early in life or are highly central to one’s sense of self. However, those same experiences can also lead to resilience and personal growth. How trauma is interpreted and integrated into one’s identity is a significant predictor of its further consequences and is influenced by emotional regulation skills, social support, and pattern of inner narrative.
Kornelia Pacholec
Bibliography:
Berman, S. L., Montgomery, M. J., & Ratner, K. (2020). “Trauma and identity: A reciprocal relationship?” Faculty Publications – Graduate School of Counseling. George Fox University.
Şakıroğlu, M., Öztürk, C. Ş., Demirkapı, E. Ş., & Dereboy, Ç. (2018). “The relationship between childhood traumas, identity development, difficulties in emotion regulation and psychopathology.” Turkish Journal of Psychiatry, 29(Suppl.), 1–11.
Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I., Brailovskaia, J., Kamite, Y., Petrauskaite, G., Margraf, J., & Kazlauskas, E. (2020). “Does trauma shape identity? Exploring the links between lifetime trauma exposure and identity status in emerging adulthood.” Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 570644.
A.P.E. 
Lascia un commento