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  • Essay / Midlife Crisis - 1888

    There is a period in the middle of adults' lives when they begin to experience changes in the way they view life. This period, often referred to as a midlife crisis, is a time of self-doubt often accompanied by depression as one begins to realize that one's life is half over (Weaver, 2009). This is the period of life that begins around age 37 and continues until middle age (Doheny, 2008). During this period, a person can evaluate their past, consider their achievements, the goals they have not achieved, and then rethink their future. They may decide to set new goals. Today, this period has a new name: midlife transition; because it is not necessarily a bad stage of life but a new beginning (Doheny, 2008). For better or worse, it's a part of adult life. The midlife transition period is an emotional stage of life in which one begins to place value on one's life. We call it midlife crisis because it is an emotional state and can be a time filled with bouts of severe depression that may require professional help to cope (Doheny, 2008). Sigmund Freud believed that this period of life crisis was a reflection of a flaw in a person's ego development during childhood (Weaver, 2009). Many others believe that it is normal in adult life to reflect on one's past and feel anxiety about one's future (Weaver, 2009). Many people value their lives, the material things they have acquired, their work, their successes and their failures, and if they feel that they have not done well, it can be a terrible time for a person; this is what has given this period of life the bad reputation of crisis (Doheny, 2008). Although this period in an adult's life has often been characterized as a crisis, it is not... middle of paper... ...do as they have always done (Vickers – Willis, 2002). Some may not even think they are going through a midlife crisis or transition unless they write a research paper explaining this as the exact actions they took during their life. Although midlife is an inevitable stage of adult development, it does. It’s not necessarily a moment to dread. Reflecting on your past and reevaluating your future does not have to be a negative experience (Weaver, 2009). Midlife happens to both men and women and, depending on how one chooses to deal with it, will determine whether it is considered a crisis or a transition. There will be ups and downs, depressions and various losses, but if one realizes that this is a normal part of aging, if one keeps an open mind and a positive attitude, the journey to quarantine will be good. As with everything in life, it's what you make of it.!