The term identity crisis was coined by Erickson and he drew on his experiences from his own life in formulating this theory. He laid out these eight phases of psychosocial development of individual personality and identity. An identity crisis is a phase in this development spectrum and it usually occurs according to him when we enter early adulthood. It also, an identity crisis might make you feel really emotionally scattered because your sense of self-concept is no longer there. And like I said, this might come in the wake of some major life stresses.