Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSymptomsCausesTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Identity disturbance describes an inconsistent or incoherent sense of self. It is associated withborderline personality disorder, as identity disturbance is one of the criteria for the condition. It often shows up as consistent and remarkable changes in a person’s beliefs, values, and behaviors that significantly impact their life, such as difficulty in maintaining jobs or relationships.
Research on identity disturbance is ongoing. More study is needed to help untangle the complexity of how identity disturbance is interpreted and connected to personality disorders.
This article discusses identity disturbance, what it is, and what causes it. It also looks at the treatments that are available for people with the condition.
Verywell / Nez Riaz
Definition of Identity Disturbance
“Identity” refers to a person’s sense of self. Your identity is how you see yourself in the past, present, and future, and it is generally consistent over time. A strong sense of self helps you maintain relationships and commitments and behave in predictable and consistent ways.
Identity disturbance is one of nine criteria fordiagnosing borderline personality disorder, a serious mental health condition that causes unstable emotions, impulsivity, and changes in behavior. It is not clear whether it is only associated with borderline personality disorder. More research is needed.
Identity Disturbance Symptoms
One critical aspect of identity disturbance is having consistent and obvious changes in values, beliefs, and aspirations that severely affect everyday life, such as difficulty maintaining relationships or commitments and not having a sense of direction in life. A person with identity disturbance may behave inconsistently because of their difficulty in maintaining identity.
Of course, it’s natural to have changing beliefs, behaviors, and commitments throughout life. What sets identity disturbance apart is that it shows up as a very noticeable and consistent pattern of instability in one’s sense of self, and it significantly affects a person’s life, including their direction in life or lack thereof.
Therefore, as with many mental health disorders, it is critical to consider external factors—such as stress, environment, socioeconomic status, and interpersonal trauma—that may contribute to someone’s difficulty with maintaining a sense of self.
Causes of Identity Disturbance
Personality disorders are oftenstigmatized, and identity disturbance is no exception. Though it is not known what exactly causes identity disturbance, social causes, such as abandonment and invalidating relationships, may be at play.
Identity disturbance is one of the criteria for diagnosing borderline personality disorder. At this time, none of the other personality disorders shares this same criterion, though researchers don’t know for sure if identity disturbance can be associated with other conditions.
Identity disturbance is akey symptom of borderline personality disorder, though it is unclear whether identity disturbance can exist on its own. Thus, it is difficult to parse out what exactly causes identity disturbance.
It may be that the key components of borderline personality disorder, such asemotional instability, which, in itself can lead to unstable moods, behaviors, and relationships, causes someone to struggle with identity.
For example, if someone experiences unstable behaviors and emotions,maintaining relationshipsand a daily routine (a job, for example) is difficult. This can lead to a sense of unstable self-image, as interpersonal relationships and commitments impact how we see ourselves.
Some causes of borderline personality disorder might also be shared in identity disturbance since the two are intertwined. Causes of borderline personality disorder include:
Overall, the exact cause of identity disturbance is not well understood. Although its association with borderline personality disorder does lend some insight, more research is needed before researchers can fully understand its causes and risk factors.
Treating Identity Disturbance
Since identity disturbance is a key component of borderline personality disorder, someborderline personality disorder treatmentsmay also work for identity disturbance, including:
Medication is not usually used to treat borderline personality disorder because the benefits are unclear.Thus, medication may not be an appropriate treatment for identity disturbance either. However, a doctor or mental health specialist may prescribe medication to help with certain symptoms, such asdepressionandmood swings(i.e., emotional instability).
Summary
Identity disturbance is a persistent and noticeably unstable sense of self. It is a diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder.
People with identity disturbance can have trouble maintaining relationships, jobs, and a social life. The condition may be treated with psychotherapy.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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