Surviving A Female Midlife Crisis

By Grace Daniels


Men are typically the sex identified in reference to a midlife identity crisis. For men this can involve creating sudden changes in life, including extramarital affairs, divorce, excessive spending and shiny new cars. While men are still affected, a growing number of women are also suffering from a female midlife crisis.

Women may begin thinking about personal and professional circumstances, such as goals, relationships, employment, finances, and personal comfort levels with life in general. Satisfaction levels and extreme behavior levels are not the same for everyone. If a crisis occurs, it generally affects women ranging from 35-60.

Such a crisis affecting women may result from women feeling job and life pressures, including job marketability, success levels, and a sense of excessive life demands. This may result from reflecting on life achievements, or lack thereof. Women may begin investigating other life choices if they feel life lacks progress or importance.

When such drastic emotional changes happen, women, like men, may also enter extramarital affairs. Feelings such as these are often related to children growing up and moving on. For the first time they now begin contemplating their own success levels and goals. They may be extremely conscious of time, and of unfulfilled dreams and desires. Women may develop an unusual dissatisfaction with the ordinary things they used to do, and may no longer feel fulfilled by caring for others, being a devoted spouse, or valued employee.

Symptoms relating to emotional changes include overwhelming feelings of mortality, and a wish to turn back the clock. These feelings are sometimes exhibited in excessive partying, and drinking. Some women also change their looks with surgeries, tattoos, and other body changing appearances meant to achieve a more youthful appearance. They might also choose younger friends.

While symptoms vary woman to woman, and not everyone exhibits such extreme behaviors, common symptoms are depression, self-blame, restlessness, loss of sex interest, divorce, and starting new relationships. Even though women may not necessarily know why they are depressed, or why they feel a sense of hopelessness, there are steps they can take to work their way out of a crisis.

Not all changes are negative. Some changes are needed, such as continued education to make oneself more marketable in the workforce, and updating ones appearance is not always a bad thing either. It is when it is taken to the extreme, and other erratic behaviors are associated with it that it has become a problem.

It may become necessary to contact a physician if behaviors become uncontrollable, but one of the first things women suffering from a female midlife crisis can do is make an effort to eat healthy, and create constructive thoughts. Women should also fill their time effectively, and find a friend or someone they trust to discuss how they are feeling. Women should refrain from any negative behaviors during this time that will have long-term results.




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