There are many issues that directly impact the study of lifespan development in module seven. The issue that I have chosen to delve a bit deeper into because of personal interest is the controversial topic of the midlife crisis. I am delving into the topic a little further to investigate whether or not the midlife crisis is a myth or a reality. Although originally used by psychologists to describe a transitional stage in adult development, today the midlife crisis is frequently associated with the man in his 40s who finds a young girlfriend and runs off in his new sports car, or the woman, about the same age, who reinvents herself, buys a new wardrobe and sometimes buys a new face. Is it a myth? An excuse for impulsive, bad behavior and unrealistic transformations, or is it a reality in need of a new name, given recent changes in contemporary culture? According to psychologist Daniel Levinson, the definition of the midlife crisis is a stage of uncertainty and indecision brought about by the realization that life is finite. Before the midlife crisis happens, midlife transition occurs. Midlife transition is a time of questioning that happens around age 40 or 45. During this transition time people begin to focus on the finite nature of life and begin to question some of their everyday essential norms. This issue connects to significant concepts, distinctive features, and critical periods in Lifespan Development. Midlife crisis was first identified by Elliot Jacques in 1965. The term "midlife crisis" became popular after it began to be used by Freudian psychologists. One of the Freudian psychologists was Carl Jung, who first described it as a normal part of adult maturation which is the time during which people took stock of themselves. He placed it midway between adulthood and the end of life. Erik Erikson, the theorist known for creating the Eight Stages of Development, explained it as a transition during the stage he called middle adulthood. This is when people naturally struggle with questions about their meaning and purpose. With necessary adjustments made at midlife, he believed, people could achieve long term satisfaction by the last stage of life, called late adulthood. The midlife crisis is viewed as a normal transition in adult development, psychologists believe it often starts with an overwhelming "uh-oh" moment when we first become aware that life is passing us by. Those who have made dissatisfying life choices feel especially troubled as they realize there is a finite amount of time left. They reflect back and see goals unattained, risks not taken and bucket lists unmet. Confusion, doubt, boredom and anger arise. There is often a wish to return to one's youth, or do life over again. Sometimes it leads to more extreme reactions, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, increased alcohol and drug use, with relief sought through psychotherapy or medication. More recently, researchers have questioned the legitimacy of a true midlife crisis. They are wondering whether if it is misleading to attribute this dilemma to a particular age. Some believe that people at various ages, for variable reasons such as serious illnesses, loss of a parent or spouse or financial security and they reflect back on their lives and wonder, "What's next?" Others question if midlife anxiety is truly a crisis like a sudden experience in which a person seems to change overnight. Or perhaps maybe it is an emotional response to an accumulation of stresses such as unhappy marriages, job dissatisfaction and financial troubles. There is also debate over whether this crisis is biologically or environmentally based, some believing it is primarily triggered by signs of physical aging that includes the loss of strength for men and the end of reproductive years for women. This issue enhances our understanding of development across the lifespan. While we tend to view this transition as often one of crisis, it is a normal developmental life stage. It is essentially positive and has the specific goal of allowing the process of becoming a "whole" person. Saying it is normal means that it cannot be avoided. Live long enough you will encounter it. As you did not avoid adolescence so you will not avoid midlife. Midlife may be denied but not escaped. Thus, in my opinion the midlife crisis is real and is just a part of reevaluating life decisions. Whether the midlife crisis is positive or negative depends on how the person evaluates and approaches changes in their life.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/midlife-crisis-opportunity http://ironbridge.ws/?p=396 http://www.icasassist.com/Resources/Midlife.pdf
Development Across the Life Span, Robert S. Feldman, sixth edition