DOES A MIDLIFE CRISIS REALLY OCCUR DURING MIDLIFE & WHAT ARE SOME CAUSES?

Within our society, many believe that experiencing a midlife crisis is normal, while others believe that this psychological phenomenon is not a common occurrence during middle age. According to (Lachman. 2004. p. 312), “if you ask people of all ages to free-associate to the word “midlife,” usually a large percentage will quickly offer the word “crisis.” This likely reflects a widespread, cultural stereotype about this period, but not an accurate portrayal, as only a small percentage seem to experience a midlife crisis.” This author also believes that if a midlife crisis does occur during this particular age span, it is likely due to challenging life events or other reasons versus a chronological timeline. Furthermore, many of these events and/or reasons can cause a psychological state of crisis during any age throughout one’s lifespan. Some of these can also include the following:

Cognitive Functioning - The level of cognitive functioning can vary among all middle-aged individuals. In some, there may be an increase in intelligence, while in others there is a decline in this ability. When this decline occurs, it may leave the individual feeling frustrated and overall incompetent.

Personality and the Self - Individual personality and/or self-identity can play a key role in determining which individuals may experience a crisis during certain transition points throughout the lifespan. One example is if an individual is neurotic with no sense of control. He or she may be more likely to experience a midlife crisis, over someone who handles things using rational and calm thinking.

Emotional Development - There are several things that can occur which affect the emotional development of middle-aged individuals. Some of these may include the aging or death of parents, growing children or children moving out (empty nest syndrome), being married or going through a divorce, having a good education versus no education, and experiencing anxiety and/or depression due to responsibility overload with multiple roles, or as a result of risky behavior.  

Social Relationships - It is important during this stage to have positive relationships with friends, coworkers and fellow family members. Some things can hinder this positive development which may cause added feelings of stress. One specific issue is when people are caring for elderly parents and growing children at the same, which is identified as the sandwich generation. A second issue that can affect a healthy social development is when a person quits a job to care for elderly parents. This is because it can eventually leave them with severe feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Work - During midlife, people may question their overall performance and/or abilities associated with work related duties. This cognitive thinking may also help individuals establish their overall identity. Therefore, when these thoughts are negative, it may leave the individual feeling inadequate or useless. One other work related aspect that can cause a psychological state of crises, is added financial obligations. One example of this is if a parent works full time but still can’t afford college tuition charges for his or her child.

Health and Physical Changes - There are many middle-aged individuals who may experience negative health and physical changes which cause a crises situation. Some of these factors include chronic illnesses, disease, or some other health problem that causes limited mobility. Many of these issues can also be a direct result of unhealthy lifestyle choices during earlier years of life. One example of this can be the onset of diabetes, due to years of poor food choices.

After reviewing the authors reasons concerning why a midlife crisis may occur, I agree that it can happen at any stage of life and is not some psychological phenomenon associated with a particular age group. This is because factors like cognitive functioning, personality, self-identity, emotional development, social relationships, work related concerns and physical differences constantly change throughout the course of one’s life. Some of these things can also cause an individual to experience a state of psychological crisis because the burden is just too great to handle in a logical and rational manner. 

One example of this is when I personally experienced the death of my mother. She suffered from 3 sudden heart attacks in one weekend and was left on life support. Myself and immediate family members were forced to make the decision to turn off the support or let her live like that indefinitely. In the end we chose to let her go because she lived her life trying to never be a burden on anyone and we knew it’s what she would have wanted. After experiencing that emotional trauma, I mentally and physically shut down from those around me for several months. However, for several years after that initial day, I also questioned and feared the mortality of myself, children, and other family members, while life kept slowly slipping by. 

After approximately two years, I was able to accept and overcome this state of emotional turmoil, by acquiring the realization that I can live on or continue to mentally die and therefore sacrifice the one life that I’ll have in this world. With this said, I’m also confident that all people can experience a psychological state of crisis during any stage of their overall lives, and not just between the approximate ages of 40 and 65. Whether they get through this experience will also be determined based on the level of psychological strength they can find within themselves and from those around them.   

Although, there are several issues that can cause what is identified as midlife crises, I chose “Emotional Development” for further discussion. The main reason that I chose this issue is because symptoms associated with anxiety and depression are affecting several people between 10 and 65 years of age within my own life.

Scenario

Name: Jane Doe

Age: 41

Gender: Female

Statement of main issue according to the client: A mother of 2 is experiencing symptoms of severe anxiety after surviving a recent physical attack at a local club. She stated that this attack occurred due to her previous boyfriend starting a verbal altercation with 2 men and 3 women at the club. According to Jane, she and her boyfriend were then physically attacked by all five of these individuals after entering the clubs parking lot. Two of the women were killed by multiple stab wounds during the attack, while she and 2 others were hospitalized on a long-term basis due to other severe injuries. She also recently identified the man who stabbed the individuals that died and he received a life sentence in a prison just 1 mile from her home. 

Since, this whole thing took place, Jane has become so anxious that she stopped interacting with her grown daughters on a regular basis, attending social events, and is considering quitting her job as a kindergarten teacher due to random panic attacks and a growing fear of the outside world. She is also having nightmares about the man in prison and doesn’t feel safe no matter where she is. Other than work, she has also become so isolated that she spends most of her free time locked in her bedroom, with 2 pet birds that she has identified as her only safe friends. Her major concern at this point is that she will never get rid of the anxiety and get to be the independent, confident, trusting, loving woman that she was prior to this incident. She has also stated that fearing her own fear is what has given her the strength needed to come in and see me.

Possible affects: If Jane’s issue is not properly addressed, it may eventually leave her completely unable to psychological and physically meet the daily demands of her life in a normal middle aged manner. This is because her trauma induced anxiety has already hindered several factors associated with healthy developmental growth. One major factor is the dramatic decrease in her prior level of emotional well-being. Without proper therapy and possible medications, I’m confident that she may also experience further emotional distress, along with possible decline in cognitive functioning, individual personality, self-identity, social relationships, work opportunities, and physical health. Therefore, I feel that this is a crises situation which needs an immediate treatment plan and would also like to request assistance from fellow colleagues to ensure the best possible resolution.

Reference:

Lachman, M.E. (2004). Development in midlife. Annual Review of Psychology. Retrieved on June 5 2012 via the Kaplan Library.