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Mid-life crisis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the song by Faith No More, see Midlife Crisis.
A mid-life crisis is an emotional state of doubt and anxiety in which a person becomes uncomfortable with the realization that life is halfway over. It commonly involves reflection on what the individual has done with his or her life up to that point, often with feelings that not enough was accomplished. The individuals experiencing such may feel boredom with their lives, jobs, or their partners, and may feel a strong desire to make changes in these areas. The condition is also called the beginning of individuation, a process of self-actualization that continues on to death.[citation needed] The condition is most common ranging from the ages of 35-50, and affects men and women differently. Mid life crises last about 3-10 years in men and 2-5 years in women, but length may vary in some people.
During middle age, many changing factors can affect personality development. These factors include:
- work/career
- marriage/spousal relationships
- adult children
- aging parents/death of parents
- physical changes associated with aging
There is some question whether a "mid-life crisis" is any different from "a crisis occurring in mid-life." One study [1] found that only 23% of participants had what they called a "mid-life crisis," but in digging deeper, only 8% of the total said the crisis was associated with realizations about aging. The balance (15%) had major life experiences or transitions (divorce, loss of a job, etc.) in middle age, but they could have happened at any other stage of life. The same research [2] found that the average age at onset of a self-described "mid-life crisis" was 46.
Other research [3] proposes that triggers for mid-life crisis differ between men and women, with male mid-life crisis more likely to be caused by work issues.
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Certain characteristics displayed by individuals experiencing a mid-life crisis often include but are not limited to:
- search of an undefined dream or goal
- desire to achieve a feeling of youthfulness
- acquiring of unusual or expensive items such as clothing, muscle cars, jewellery, gadgets, etc.
- paying extra special attention to physical appearance
- need to spend more time alone or with certain peers
- a deep sense of remorse for goals not accomplished
- an underlying desire to initiate new sexual partnerships
A poll conducted by Desertion Survivors[4] found that 37.1% of respondents' spouses/partners had deserted them after 20-30 years together, suggesting a strong link to mid-life crisis, with the 20-25 year bracket being the most common, accounting for 20.9% of the overall total.
Some people claim that these older and established individuals, rather than going through their mid-life crisis, are actually in a time of their lives when they can afford to do the things they wanted to do when they were young, which may explain the indulgences in certain commodities or activities. Some individuals find hitting 40 a great relief. These people know that they have done all that they wanted to do in life, and consider the remainder bonus time to explore with.
Foti has severe midlife crisis.
- Elliott Jaques. "Death and the Midlife Crisis", International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 1965.
- Gail Sheehy. Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life, 1976. ISBN 0553271067.
- ^ The (Not) Inevitable Midlife Crisis. lifetwo.com (2006-07-10).
- ^ More On The Midlife Crisis You May Never Have. lifetwo.com (2006-07-10).
- ^ Are Male and Female Midlife Crises Different?. lifetwo.com (2006-07-19).
- ^ I was with my partner for.