Dealing with a midlife crisis can be hard. Knowing some of the signs and symptoms can help.
A midlife crisis is something that happens to many people at the midway point of their lives, usually around age 40. Dr. Derek Milne, a clinical psychologist, describes it as a feeling of "depression" that affects 20 percent of people age 35 to 50. While the term is not easy to define, it does help to know some of the signs and symptoms of a midlife crisis.
Regret
Those that are suffering a midlife crisis often focus on what happened in the past that cannot be undone. This can manifest itself in restarting activities that you did many years earlier and stopped, or excessively looking back on one's childhood. To help get past this, identify what is causing you regret and use it as a catalyst for change, helping you move forward into the next part of your life.
Acting Out of Character
Many of the signs of a midlife crisis can best be summed up as generally acting out of character. Examples include extreme changes in your eating habits, changing or investigating new religions, and a change in your habits, in which activities that used to bring pleasure now bring boredom and you are unable to concentrate or complete once-easy tasks. If this describes you, it may be time to seek help.
Feeling Trapped
As life has progressed, you may have made certain sacrifices to your goals and dreams. Now, at a midway point of your life, realizing some of those things you have sacrificed may make you want to run away so you no longer feel trapped by your current situation. This can manifest itself in a desire to leave your family or completely change your surroundings.While there is no simple cure, most people simply need a change in life, not to run away from it entirely.
Feeling That Time is Running Out
It's no surprise that those suffering a midlife crisis begin to feel as though time is running out since you are entering the latter half of your life. This symptom can manifest itself in thinking about death and wondering about the nature of death and concerning oneself with working out or new vitamin plans. Combat this feeling by using the sense of urgency you now feel to bring a new energy into your life and your goals instead of letting it drag you down into depression.
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