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Identity Status Team Orange: De Ann Kirksey, Donald Johnston, Sue Budd Lifespan

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Don: Identity Diffusion relates to individuals who have never faced a crisis or made any commitments. At a young age, (around six or seven), I watched out the window while my grandmother was dragged by a car and killed. Identity Foreclosure relates to those who have made a commitment but not experienced a crisis. I believe I have covered this stage also. Identity Moratorium relates to those who are in a crisis but not focused on their commitments. I do not feel this status refers to me because I am married and have all of the responsibilities that come with a marriage. I am a student and do the best I can with my responsibilities concerning school. At this time I have no crisis to be concerned about since every thing going on lately is common for this house hold. With the sizes of the families between the two of us someone is always sick or having some sort of problem. Identity Achievement seams to fit me the best. Crisis has been a common word here for years. I have been hospitalized for various issues from accidents to surgeries some serious some minor. I lost my younger brother due to an accident, a sister crippled because of an accident. A mother surviving cancer. A father surviving a heart attack. My mother in law had a stroke. I think here it has been one crisis after another. When I married my wife nineteen years ago it was not my first marriage. I told my wife at the alter that I was going to marry her for life. not a year or two. I decided that this is the lady I wanted to spend my life with and have not veered from that promise. I have never regretted my decision.

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I was forced to retire from driving a truck because of health reasons. I am considered disabled physically even though I do work around with little things. I decided one day after a conversation that I could return to school and work at a career other than physically demanding work and be good at it. To my surprise I am going on six years as a student. I still enjoy the classes, the people, and the commitment. Sue: Identity diffusion usually occurs in early adolescents because the teen doesnt want any commitments and doesnt feel they have many choices. For me I think this stage occurred through most of my teen years. I had little to no control over my life, but I wasnt really looking to make any choices or decisions. I wanted to be free to do whatever I wanted when I wanted to do it. Identity foreclosure occurred for me when I was about 17 or 18. I was willing to commit to a job and consider goals for the future. I worked at Taco Bell with my mom, because she thought it would be good to work together. I hadnt experienced any crisis that made me want to do more than what was expected of me. Identity moratorium came late for me. I was about 20. I know I wanted to go to school but I had no idea what I wanted to study. I enrolled in the same school as my dad because it was easier. I studied general education because I wasnt willing to commit to a major. I was considering serious commitments but wasnt willing to make the choices required to make those commitments. Identity achievement has only recently occurred for me. I took a job as an activities assistant, because I needed a job, in taking this job I found a sense of accomplishment I hadnt

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felt before. I felt like I was close to finding my notch in the world. It wasnt until I lost my job due to an injury that I took a serious evaluation of my life. I decided I need to go back to school. I began seriously considering what I wanted to do the rest of my life. After taking so personality test, I choose to enroll in college to study psychology. After taking my first class I knew I had made the right choice and had find my notch in the world. De Ann: I believe myself to be in a construal circle of Identity Achievement. By having an 18 year old daughter, a teenage boy with major depressive disorder, and my gift from God- the seven year old with ADHD, life is a continual circle of crisis. When faced with each never ending crisis, I begin the survivor thinking. What do I do now? What consequences are involved? What plans or changes do I need to make in an effort to prevent future crisis? In the rare times when all is calm, my anxiety peaks a bit in wait of the next crisis. I tend to manage the best in hectic pressure induced situations.

My identity base is centered on values. Not necessarily morals, but my own set of values. My own core beliefs that govern all of the decisions I make toward my children, my career, and my social networking. I have learned along the way that my belief system is not always necessarily correct, but is definitely the root of my decision making process.

Marcia, J. E. (2008-2012). Identity Status Theory. Retrieved from http://www.learningtheories.com/identity-status-theory-marcia.html