The question of making or finding meaning in one’s life is often the basis for intense episodes of psychological conflict. There’s the twenty-something post-graduate having a quarter-life crisis, the thirty-something professional hearing her biological clock ticking, the middle-aged man wondering why he’s slaving away at a job he doesn’t like, and the older woman looking back over her life and questioning the decisions she has made.
An existential crisis is defined as a stage of development at which an individual questions the very foundations of his or her life: whether their life has any meaning, purpose, or value. An existential crisis may result from a sense of being alone and isolated in the world, a new-found grasp or appreciation of one’s mortality, believing that one’s life has no purpose or external meaning, awareness of one’s freedom and the consequences of accepting or rejecting that freedom, or an extremely pleasurable or hurtful experience that leaves one seeking meaning. An existential crisis is often provoked by a significant event in the person’s life — college graduation, marriage, separation, major loss, the death of a loved one, a life-threatening experience, a new love partner, psycho-active drug use, adult children leaving home, retirement, or reaching a personally-significant age (turning 30, turning 40, etc.).
People look to various sources of clarity and support when they find themselves overburdened by existential angst. Many find help from spirituality or religion. Others turn to philosophical texts for an intellectual spin on their situation. Some fall into unhealthy patterns of behavior to cope with their discomfort, such as drinking too much, overeating, and getting into unhealthy relationships. These pivotal points in life can lead to episodes of anxiety and depression, especially when the individual does not have adequate social supports in place. So, while Nietzsche and Kierkegaard can be good companions during a mid-life crisis, sometimes you need a live person to bounce ideas off of. The existential crisis is actually a good time to consider psychotherapy. It can be helpful to have a neutral person with whom to process these concerns, to act as a sounding board without imposing a value-system on your life. Melissa K. Hunt, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
January 31, 2011