Symptoms of middle age crisis in men and their causes

Each of us has repeatedly faced with such a concept as a crisis of middle age. And somehow it turned out that the word "crisis" is associated with discouragement and stagnation, but is it really so? In principle, with the "normal"( norm - abstract) of the flow of life, the crisis period does not represent a dramatic and long-suffering event, and sometimes it is simply not noticed.

Fig.1 - One of the definitions of the crisis of middle age.

Signs of future changes - the main manifestations of the crisis

Considering the crisis of middle age as a psychosocial phenomenon, it is reasonable to distinguish in its symptoms two components: observed( external) and experienced( internal).We will list the observed phenomena, where negative symptoms will be indicated, and in their brackets their antagonists are positive phenomena.

So, here are three basic phenomena of this period:

1. loss of interest in life, habitual business, favorite hobby( intensification of activity in the field of favorite classes, their positive reassessment in conversations);
2. increasing dissatisfaction with life, probably the emergence of rudeness and aggression( a positive reassessment of the passed path, the desire to actively gain new skills, expand professional competencies, readiness to "change something");
3. marked isolation, isolation from the family( increased activity in the family, the desire to learn their children on the new side, the agreement with their "otherness").

Internal experiences are a subjective thing, but let's try to bring them into one category:

1. feeling of own inferiority, incorrectness of one's life( sense of fulfillment and pleasant memories of what has been done, orientation to unachieved yet achievable goals);
2. experiencing anxiety and fear for their future, sometimes - excessive attention to their somatic state( readiness to continue and start a new one, a feeling of "second youth", second chance);
3. the emergence of a sense of uselessness, a feeling of being out of place( the assertion of his "I" in his place, the feeling of his connectedness with his family and society);
4. doubt in their abilities( the formation of confidence in their professionalism, the emergence of readiness for mentoring).

One can not ignore a very important point: under the "depressive" crisis scenario, the risk of developing severe dependencies( salvation in a glass), as well as the loss of a family, increases at times. The attempt to escape from oneself in narcotic drugs only leads to a fatal deterioration in the situation of the crisis.

Why does the crisis start?

Psychological component of

We will begin our analysis with the causes of psychological, because for the most part the middle-aged crisis is accompanied by problems in the sphere of mental life. The first reason is the realization that the conditional "middle" of life is approaching and a new question appears that has not been met before: "What have I already had?".If in adolescence you have to part with the dreams of childhood and adolescence, then in the middle adulthood period, men begin to evaluate decisions taken a dozen years ago. And it is the quality of evaluation( positive / negative) that determines the severity, and the presence of a crisis.

Favorable scenario

The favorable scenario corresponds to the confirmation of the importance of your "I", the recognition of the self-worth of your life and the satisfaction with what has already been achieved. At the same time, as a rule, a positive picture of the future is formed: interesting changes are introduced into life that promote the growth of a person over oneself.

Fig.2 - The favorable outcome of the mid-life crisis only strengthens the self-esteem of men and improves the quality of later life.

During this period, many men begin to learn new activities, "revive" past interests and add to their lives a note of subtle pleasure. The whole path for such people is a prelude to future changes. And this way, by the way, does not have to be cloudless. As a rule, men who have faced up to this age with serious difficulties and shocks, which have been successfully overcome, form a very positive attitude toward the future. In general, the integration of the personality and understanding of oneself is increasing, there is a calm attitude to one's life and, often, a new interest arises for their children and the family as a whole.

Negative scenario

A negative scenario begins to develop when life plans seem not to be fulfilled, achievements are insignificant, and the future is bleak. Not always such negativism is comparable to the real conditions of life, unfortunately, much depends on our ability to set adequate goals and enjoy small things.

Fig.3 - The negative scenario of the development of the middle-aged crisis manifests itself in dissatisfaction with itself, with its current life position, and only aggravates the state of things.

Begins to grow dissatisfaction with itself, depressiveness, there is a ramified set of negative symptoms that have been described in the corresponding paragraph. Now let's briefly consider the physiological component of the crisis of average adulthood.

Physiological component of

If we consider the whole period, then we can talk about the beginning of a smooth decline in physical health. At some point a man realizes that he is no longer young and his body begins to change;And the background of the crisis depends on the attitude towards this. At the level of cognitive skills, attention may be slightly reduced, memory may be weakened slightly, vision may deteriorate.

Several muscles weaken, flexibility is lost, but there is a great potential for maintenance and development. The question is whether it will be used already depends on the person. There may be some decrease in sexual interest, some weakness of potency is possible, but this does not interfere with normal sexual life.

Is there a beginning and an end to the crisis of middle age?

Fig.4 - "How to live on?" - the main question that men ask themselves during a crisis.

The crisis of middle age is not an exact segment and it is impossible to say when it started and when it ended. Here everything lies at the level of self-perception. In the positive case, a man comes to accepting himself and his past, accepting the self-worth of his being;Existence is a "happy life".

A negative scenario, as a rule, is much more protracted and is often associated with serious problems in adapting to a new self. Sometimes everything happens according to the model of "purifying suffering", rethinking and humility with the lost. As a rule, the way out of the crisis after "suffering" is favorable. But if the depressive symptoms of the crisis drags on and grows, then there are the dangers of "side effects" in the form of addictions, suicides, aggression. And, of course, this is an occasion to seek professional help from a psychotherapist.

Read more: "How to overcome the midlife crisis for a man?".

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