Villanueva 1

Elise Villanueva

Mrs. Ribeiro

ENG3UX

21 July 2023

Annotated Bibliography: The Causes And Effects Of Identity Loss?

Alger, Anne-Marie. “‘I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore’: Losing My Identity.” Counselling

Directory, 13 June 2014,

www.counselling-directory.org.uk/memberarticles/i-dont-know-who-i-am-anymore-losing-my-ide

ntity.

In the article “I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore’: Losing My Identity,”

Anne-Marie Alger explores the subject of lost identity. She states that losing one’s identity

can be a very long process, but it can sometimes happen after experiencing trauma or a

major event, leaving a gap in one’s life. She states “Loss of identity may follow all sorts of

changes; changes in the workplace, loss of a job or profession, loss of a role that once

defined us, as a child, as a parent, as a spouse” (Alger online). She comes to the conclusion

that when one loses their sense of self, they often look for something in other people to fill

the gap in their soul. They become very self conscious and begin to overly care about what

others think of them. This article is similar to other sources in this annotated bibliography,

as it declares that when people lose their sense of identity, they begin to live for other

people instead of for themselves. Additionally, Alger provides some advice on how to

rediscover one’s identity. She states that “Awareness that you have 'lost' your identity is

one of the first steps towards finding it again” (Alger online). Psychotherapy and
 Villanueva 2
counselling are also good resources to use in order to find a sense of self. Anne-Marie

Alger’s words of wisdom within this article prove that as a result of lost identity, people

excessively confide in the ones around them causing them to lose themselves to an even

greater degree. Although many people react to the loss of identity in different ways, this

article specifically states that they begin to put on an act in order to please other people to

gain a sense of self-worth, which is very important to recognize.

Lavigne, Avril. “Complicated”. Youtube, https://youtu.be/5NPBIwQyPWE

In the song “ Complicated,” Avril Lavigne demonstrates a story of her friend

losing their identity in order to fit in. She explains how they completely change and make

everything in their life complicated. In the pre-chorus, Lavigne sings “you become /

somebody else / ‘round everyone else / you’re watching your back / like you can’t relax /

you try to be cool” (Lavigne online). This line proves that one of the main causing factors

for someone to lose their identity are the people around them. Furthermore, in the chorus,

Lavigne sings “and you fall, and you crawl, and you break” (Lavigne online). Through

this line she describes the effects on someone who loses their sense of identity. Lavigne

comes to the conclusion that people often try to fit in into certain social groups and end

up losing themselves in the process. They become someone they are not. This song

relates to the other resources in this annotated bibliography because it explains one of the

main causes for someone to lose their sense of identity: the individuals and social groups

surrounding a person. It also explains that a person can break and become emotionally

unstable as well as mentally anxious as a result of pretending to be someone they are not

and not knowing who they truly are.

 Villanueva 3
Olivier, Willa T. “Lost Identity - Lost Identity Poem by Willa T. Olivier.” Poem Hunter, 18

March 2005, https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/lost-identity/.

In the poem “Lost Identity,” Willa T. Olivier writes about his thought process

when undergoing the loss of identity. He begins his poem by explaining how he seeks

love and kindness in order to ease the pain and fill the hole in his heart. Olivier reflects

on his longing for something that makes him feel whole. He describes the loneliness and

pain that is felt when one does not have an identity. The author answers the question of

how one feels when they lose their sense of identity, thoroughly explaining the longing

and yearning for something to make their existence feel whole. He comes to the

conclusion that when one loses their sense of identity, it can significantly, negatively

impact their mental health and self-esteem. He effectively shows this through the last

line: “for ofttimes comes the cry, / 'Where is the one who should be me? / My soul, my

self, my 'I'?” (Olivier online). It proves that one's mental health is dependent and relies on

a sense of identity. This poem contributes to the topic of this annotated bibliography, as it

successfully describes the results and effects of identity loss.

Romano, Ryan. “Ryan Romano: Repairing the Identity Crisis.” TED,

https://www.ted.com/talks/ryan_romano_repairing_the_identity_crisis.

In his TED Talk, “Repairing the Identity Crisis,” Romano Ryan talks about how

important it is to understand one’s value and identity in today’s society. He claims that the

standards that current society sets for people, especially youth, prevents them from

finding their identity. It makes people insecure and causes identity crisis, which leads to

depression and anxiety. They become stuck on the expectations of others and on the
 Villanueva 4
yearning to live up to the ones around them. Romano comes to the conclusion that in

order to add to one’s story or identity, they need meaningful relationships in their life, but

due to being distracted by everything going on around them, they are unable to find out

who they really are. He claims “the lack of meaningful relationships are having

devastating effects (...) and the rise of depression and anxiety in teens today make them

more likely to consider suicide as a solution to their problems” (Romano 3:38).

Additionally, he concludes that to find one’s identity and get rid of the expectations that

are placing burdens on their shoulders, they need to start thinking about what they want

to become, not what the ones around them want. He states “there is no greater

relationship than the one between you and you” (Romano 4:43). These conclusions are

similar to other sources in this annotated bibliography, as it explains the effects of having

no identity on the human mind and mental health. Although it is easy to forget how

expectations and trends can place a burden on a teenager, it is important to remember that

it is very possible for these factors that cause identity crises eventually lead to depression,

anxiety, and even suicide.

Rosalyn. “A Lost Identity …. Found - This I Believe.” ThisIBelieve.org,

https://thisibelieve.org/essay/64787/.

In her essay, Rosalyn describes the trauma Hurricane Katrina caused for her when

she was young. She says: “Everything I knew was now uncertain. (...) I had lost

everything—including my identity.” (Rosalyn online) Due to the major hurricane, she

loses her home and her friends. She could no longer recognize who she is and loses her

sense of happiness in her life. Although she is agonizing over the pain caused by her lost
 Villanueva 5
identity, she still has to put a smile on her face for her parents and pretend everything is

fine, when in fact, it is not. She claims “I yearned for one thing: my identity” (Rosalyn

online). She feels the need to at least have her own self identity under control since she

cannot control the other factors in her life. Even after becoming aware of this, she fails to

rediscover her identity, totally losing herself in the process. Soon after, she decides to

take action and make decisions for herself, working towards a new and rediscovered

identity. Not only does she find her identity again, but she also gains a sense of

responsibility. She comes to the conclusion that identity can be suddenly lost as a result

of a major traumatic event. These conclusions reflect other sources mentioned in this

annotated bibliography because this essay covers the fact that the loss of one’s sense of

identity can be caused by trauma and the eager yearning for an identity is often a result of

this. But Rosalyn claims that these traumatic events allow one to gain a better

understanding of themselves as well as redevelop their identity as something even greater

than it was before, which is a very important point to remember.