Women’s Midlife Crisis – Trainwreck or Bullet Train?
Midlife Crisis in Women
You may be surprised to know that women experience midlife crisis as often as men do. The symptoms and reasons for a tough transition may differ between males and females, and a woman’s midlife crisis may be harder to recognize. While we stereotype men answering this call with a red sports car or trophy wife, women’s symptoms may be more emotional and internal.
Causes of Female Midlife Crisis
For some, the normal transition from youth to not-so-young may be enough to spark symptoms. For others, some change in the household, like having kids leave home, becomes a catalyst. Women tend to analyze their own history and ask if this is how they want to spend the rest of their lives or have they done enough with the previous decades. If they do not come up with a satisfactory answer, serious emotional toll can result.
Symptoms of Women’s Midlife Crisis
Some of these symptoms may mirror depression or other illnesses. In fact, if not attended to, serious depression or other illnesses can be the result.
- A change in eating or sleeping habits (with fatigue)
- Lack of enjoyment from things that used to bring joy and excitement
- Feelings of anxiety, guilt, pessimism, hopelessness, or helplessness
- Physical (including digestive system) aches and pains with no particular cause
- At an extreme, thoughts (or even attempts) at suicide
Positive Side Effects of Midlife Crisis
On the other hand, many mental health experts regard some sort of midlife crisis as a natural stage. Many women have turned this transition into a time of positive growth because it forced them to evaluate areas of their lives that did not satisfy them.
The dead end job that was good enough while the kids were home may need to be replaced with a better opportunity. Some women go back to school, look for better employment prospects, or even start their own business.
Other women may have decided to opt out of having kids because they were busy with their career or just never had time to meet the right man. Some of them decide to foster a child or, even, adopt one.
Handing Female Midlife Crisis
If nothing else, any symptoms of a midlife crisis should be confronted. Some may need to seek medical treatment or the services of a good counselor, but others will be fine with a new hobby, charity work, or a gym membership.
A good long look in the mirror should help many middle aged women pinpoint the root causes of disatisfaction. As we all know, admitting a problem is the first step to addressing it.