Are you experiencing a mid-Life crisis?
Do you feel you have lost your edge in life? Do you find it hard to get motivated in the workplace? Find yourself disconnected from family or old friends? Do you feel you have lost relevance, and that everyone around you is moving at a faster pace? Perhaps you miss the person you were when you were young; when you had more energy, felt happier, and were on your game?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to the above; you are not alone. This feeling of dissatisfaction with life is common in men. It usually occurs around 40-55 years old. It begins insidiously, and without appropriate help can last around 10 years.
Very often this discontent revolves life events, such as marriage, work, or illness. You may feel you and your spouse are growing apart, and that marriage is more about responsibility than fun. Perhaps illness in friends, or the death of parents, has made you question your own mortality and loss of youth?
A feeling of lack accomplishment professionally can also trigger frustration. Perhaps at work you feel irrelevant while younger people are promoted above you, and new technology is introduced at a faster pace. Or you took a job to pay the bills, knowing you were not following your calling, and now you feel resentful that it is too late change direction.
Mid-life crisis is real and not a cliche
Very often, the unhappiness you and men like you express is often dismissed by others as just a “mid-life crisis”. Flippant jokes revolving around sports cars and younger women demonstrate how little support is available for men during this time.
As a result, you may try to resolve it in unhealthy ways. For example:
- self-medicating with alcohol, food or drugs.
- making extravagant purchases
- withdrawing from family
- pursuing relationships with much younger people
- taking extreme measures to retain your youth (excessively working out or cosmetic surgery).
A better approach
At Dr Jenny Health, the first thing to do is take a full inventory of what is going on.
As an integrative practitioner I am trained to look at the whole picture not just your symptoms.
The male mid-life crisis is a common but complex phenomenon. Underlying causes are usually a combination of hormonal, psychological, and lifestyle factors. This imbalance often manifests as physical, psychological and interpersonal issues.
Signs and symptoms of a mid-life crisis:
- Boredom and restless with current life
- Infidelity or thinking about infidelity
- Nostalgia for the past
- Feelings of anger or frustration
- Feelings of sadness or depression
- Impulsive flashy purchases or decisions
- Desire to change appearance
First, it is important to consider the effects of biological aging at this point in life.
The andropause, (often referred to as the ‘male menopause’) can be a contributing factor. It is widely documented testosterone levels decrease by 1-2% from the age of 30. Loss of testosterone is correlated with loss of muscle and drive. However, the relationship is not clear, and it rare that a testosterone replacement is a panacea for the other issues which accompany a midlife crisis such as depression, anger and dissatisfaction with life.
Another consideration is that the male mid-life crisis is a product of our social environment. We are constantly told “life begins at 40” but we live in a youth-obsessed culture. This can induce the paradox that our life is half over, yet our physical peak is past.
It may raise the existential question, “Do I want to spend the next half with the same person, or in the same job?” Or “Do I want the new beginning?” From this perspective mid-life can either become an opportunity to embark on a new exciting chapter in life, or it can trigger feelings of being trapped, afraid and anxious.
It is also possible that many years of unhealthy habits are beginning to catch up and take their toll on your body. Stress, nutritional deficiencies, and poor sleep can have a devastating effect on well-being and motivation.
Whatever the underlying cause, you do not have to suffer. I can help you back on track to wellness and vitality.