Symptoms of a midlife crisis may include depression or anxiety, irritability or mood swings, sleep disturbances, weight gain or loss, increased indecisiveness and more.
Signs you're experiencing a midlife crisis
Signs of midlife crises can vary (like stressors and the crisis itself), but some indicators include feeling depressed or anxious, having low motivation, having difficulty sleeping, struggling with questions of identity or purpose, and feeling overwhelmed or dissatisfied.
What is a midlife crisis? “Midlife” takes place approximately between the ages of 40 and 60, give or take a few years. One common belief about this stage of life is that you should expect to face inner turmoil about your identity, life choices, and mortality — in other words, a midlife crisis.
Carl Jung (1875–1961), in his extensive writings, identified five stages associated with an innate, normal, and expected midlife transition: accommodation, separation, liminality, reintegration, and individuation.
A midlife crisis can be triggered by any number of major factors, including divorce, the death of a loved one, boredom or a significant life event, says Krystal Jackson, a licensed therapist and the CEO of Simply Being Wellness Counseling in Farmington, Connecticut, who helps middle-aged clients navigate life ...
Yes, sometimes people who leave in the throes of a midlife crisis do come back. Sometimes, their partner no longer wants them. But rather than concentrate your energy on your husband's behavior and choices, I hope you will take a long look at your own life. Deal with your grief and the profound loss and change.
The condition may occur from the ages of 40–60. Mid-life crises last about 3–10 years in men and 2–5 years in women. A mid-life crisis could be caused by aging itself, or aging in combination with changes, problems, or regrets over: work or career (or lack thereof)
The regret of most individuals experiencing midlife crises has a lot to do with the disappointment that they did not live a good or full life. They feel they were untrue to themselves and lived a life based on the approval of others. Do not focus on what-ifs. This will only bring confusion and self-doubt.
Is a midlife crisis a mental illness? No, a mid-life crisis is not considered to be a mental illness.
But as we hit midlife, our BDNF levels have peaked and started to drop. And as Leuthardt points out, “reduced plasticity is associated with depression. So there's this perfect storm: Just when you've reached all your initial life goals and you're trying to figure out your next phase, your brain stops cooperating.”
Suddenly, you're questioning everything you've devoted to the last couple of decades, and all of your carefully-laid life plans don't seem to make sense anymore. You start acting impulsively, making big changes, and wondering if you'll ever regain your sense of self and purpose.
"When crisis point is reached they go through a profound psychological breakdown, often accompanied by symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression." Yuko Nippoda, psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), adds that lack of energy and stamina can trigger a midlife crisis.
A midlife crisis can be broken into three stages: the trigger, the crisis and the resolution. The trigger is the event that causes stress, such as job loss.
This discomfort can trigger a slew of marital and relational issues that may culminate in a divorce. Because partners experiencing a midlife crisis may withdraw, become more easily agitated, and seek major life changes, their current partner may be left behind feeling confused, hurt, and hopeless.
If you were to ask a group of divorcees (who went through with their separation during a midlife crisis) what their biggest regret was, the most common answer would be hurting their loved ones. Typically, a midlife-crisis divorce is due to the desires of one spouse, not a failing marriage.
The Temptation to Withdrawal
In Midlife Crisis, this is the stage when a person begins to separate from family and friends—cutting off a true source of demonstrated love, reassurance, and appreciation. Instead, they become solitary and isolated, refusing (or not even recognizing) the help they most need.
“Male midlife crisis is about fear of dying. It's rooted in separation anxiety and fear of mortality. Many men still live and function under the archaic division of role models and beliefs about self-identity,” says Beverly Hills, California, family and relationship psychotherapist, Dr. Fran Walfish.
A man's mid-life crisis can manifest in a variety of ways, but often include feelings of anxiety or depression, changes in eating and sleep habits, problems with focus or concentration, and increased levels of stress.
As men age, they often look back on the earlier years of their lives. Some feel a sense of fulfillment and relief. Some, however, feel some sort of wistfulness or even regret. Some feel lost, while some think they are missing out in life, and that they could be happier if they make drastic changes.
Women initiate most of these divorces, often due to feeling unfulfilled or unsatisfied with their current lives. Other common causes include empty nest syndrome, lack of shared interests and hobbies, career dissatisfaction, depression in men going through a midlife crisis divorce and infidelity.
In particular, when men go through a midlife crisis, infidelity may occur, and husbands can destroy their marriages. Despite the best efforts of spouses to work toward saving a marriage after infidelity, it may be impossible to return to the type of relationship you had before the cheating.