Midlife Crisis: Myth or Reality?

Thoughts & Reflections

Regularly examining our circumstances throughout life better equips us to cope with the vulnerabilities of later years, regardless of whether the midlife crisis is real or not

By Dr R Neerunjun Gopee

Is the so-called midlife crisis a disease of affluence, somewhat like the now well-known non-communicable diseases which are associated with the lifestyle of the richer countries, one of overconsumption, but which have now spread globally? That’s the question I asked myself when the issue came up during a discussion among colleagues. I wondered whether people in poorer countries struggling to make ends meet almost throughout their lives could ever have the luxury of pondering an issue they would not even have heard of. As a doctor I had come across the term ‘male menopause’ aka andropause, something akin to but not quite the same as the menopause in females, which is a well-defined entity, but had only a vague idea about the so-called midlife crisis.

Midlife Crisis. Pic – Guy Stuff Counselling

So, I looked up Google doctor for a change, and guess what! No surprise, I got an AI Overview – but with a realistic caveat at the bottom that ‘This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. Generative AI is experimental.’ And thank goodness for that! Because it is not uncommon in medical practice nowadays to have patients coming in having self-diagnosed themselves and even tried out self-treatment courtesy Google Doctor.

Nevertheless, I must admit the AI Overview did give a plausible enough comparison between the midlife crisis and the andropause, starting with a reassuring introduction which read:No, midlife crisis and male menopause (also called andropause) are not the same, although they may overlap in some cases. While a midlife crisis is a psychological and emotional state of discontentment often experienced during middle age, male menopause refers to the biological and hormonal changes associated with declining testosterone levels.

The midlife crisis was defined as a period of emotional turmoil and uncertainty that can occur in middle age, often involving a re-evaluation of one’s life choices, goals, and values. The cause was primarily psychological and related to life experiences, societal expectations, and a sense of the time passing. It led to symptoms like feelings of dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, and a desire to make significant changes in one’s life. The primary driving force behind a midlife crisis is psychological, not hormonal, namely the natural decline in the male hormone testosterone that starts in men in their 40s or 50s.

On the other hand, this biological change related to the natural aging process is the main cause of the male menopause whose symptoms may include fatigue, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, mood changes, and weight gain. Midlife crises and andropause can occur at similar ages, leading to overlapping symptoms like fatigue, mood changes, and changes in sexual function.

So, while a midlife crisis and andropause can have overlapping symptoms and occur in the same age range, they are distinct phenomena with different underlying causes and mechanisms. A midlife crisis is a psychological experience, while andropause is a biological process related to declining testosterone levels.

If anyone feels that he is having a midlife crisis based on the symptoms listed above, then since the cause is primarily psychological, it follows that the remedy also must be primarily psychological and not medical. In fact, good news comes from a ‘Featured Neuroscience Psychology’ publication of April 27, 2025 that I came across titled ‘Midlife Reflections Lead to Greater Happiness and Fulfillment.’

This was based on a study conducted at the University of Buffalo in the US, which had an optimistic summary. Namely, that ‘late midlife can be a powerful period of personal growth, marked by increasing self-transcendence through life storytelling. Researchers observed that people who actively reflect on and reinterpret their life experiences experience greater self-acceptance, well-being, and optimism.

Further, ‘unlike the old myth of the midlife crisis, these findings suggest that aging often promotes healthier, more adaptive views of the self. The research highlights how the way we narrate our lives may shape emotional resilience and fulfillment as we grow older.’

Self-transcendence is a term psychologists use for the experience of connection beyond the self. It can have spiritual implications, but self-transcendence also relates to personal connections. Fundamentally, the issue is one of healthy aging to start with. And since health is, according to the World Health Organisation definition, a ‘state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease’ as we age, we must also give attention as much to the mental and social aspects of our lives as to keeping ourselves physically fit.

There is a well-known saying that the unexamined life is not worth living, and it is a fact that the whirlwind pace at which modern life races along the ‘metro-boulo-dodo’ paradigm leaves us little time for reflection on our lives in a holistic manner. We thus suddenly find ourselves at the crossroads of midlife without having adequately prepared ourselves.

Starting earlier rather than later therefore, even as we pursue career, cater to family needs, raise children, ensure their education and welfare, we must regularly examine whether we are doing the right things and doing things rightly. Whether, for example, we are succumbing to the pressures of alluring adverts that lead to overspending and unnecessary expenses instead of putting aside for a rainy day or weighing carefully all options available before we take key decisions. This may sound very trite but is at the core of how our lives will unfold and prepare us for the later years.

When thus having primed ourselves all along, we then reach midlife, it presents itself as ‘an opportunity for increased self-transcendence, especially acceptance of oneself and one’s life — and it’s associated with many positive effects,’ according to Reischer, an expert in narrative identity and self-transcendence.

‘Self-acceptance isn’t an endorsement for the bad things that have happened, nor is it “just” an attitude. It’s an active understanding of how one’s life experiences have contributed to an understanding of oneself in the present.’

‘It’s a multifaceted process, evolving over the life course, that involves greater attention to the meaning of one’s own life and to the perspectives of and connections with others. High self-transcendence is associated with increased well-being, better mental health, coping skills and optimism.’

The positive takeaway is that whether the midlife crisis is or isn’t a myth, by a process of regularly examining our circumstances and situation at every stage of our life course, we are in a better position to cope when we reach the more vulnerable, later years when family and financial situation, as well as social connections are likely to be undergoing impactful changes.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 2 May 2025