Midlife Crises
"Midlife Crisis" is a term used to describe the "blahs" that many people feel during their middle-aged years, when a person realizes their youth is a thing of the past and feels that what lies ahead is impending "old age."
In a society often obsessed with youth, it is easy for one to feel that they no longer matter once they reach middle age. But how common in this is the "midlife crisis?"
Researchers at Dartmouth College in NH and the University of Warwick in England studied this phenomenon for 35 years. What they found out was that feelings of self-doubt and pessimism common to those experiencing a midlife crisis are common among many different cultures, are experienced by men and women (who are either parents or have no children), and by people of different socio-economic statuses. Further, the study states that such a crisis is not the result of a major life change such as a divorce or a job loss.
While the study is unclear as to exactly what causes these feelings to come about at this age (there are different hypotheses), the study points out that over the course of time, most people do emerge from the state of a midlife crisis. It points out that most will eventually reach a state of feeling optimistic as they head into their later years, much the same as they felt when they were younger. And that is great news for young and old alike.
If you feel that you are experiencing a life change and in need of emotional support to help get you through, please do not hesitate to contact our office for a consultation.