An existential crisis is a period of intense questioning of one’s assumptions, anxiety about the meaning and purpose of one’s life. This kind of experience is a normal part of our existence, but can be particularly difficult when it is prolonged or intense. People often feel overwhelmed by a sense of loneliness, fear and uncertainty as they grapple with questions concerning their identity, values and beliefs. They wonder about what they are striving for and what will be left behind after they are gone. They also think about whether they made good decisions in their professional and personal lives.
At such times, a person may feel stress, fear and struggle with a worse mood. However, when going through such difficulties, is it always possible to talk about experiencing a crisis already? What actually characterizes an existential crisis? Where to seek help when you discover that you are experiencing such a phase in your life?
Characteristics of existential crisis – psychological pain
When dealing with an existential crisis, you may be asking yourself what the definition of it is. This is part of trying to understand what this phenomenon really is and how to recognize it. The definition of an existential crisis usually says that it is the moment when a person begins to feel so-called existential pain, which is also combined with a perceived emptiness. This is often associated with entering so-called middle age, but can also have other sources. At such a time, a person begins to reflect on his own mortality, his place in the world and in society. Many people feel that they are at a point where they have already outlived most of the time given to them in this world. Awareness of one’s own mortality is something that on a day-to-day basis most people tend to try to push away and not focus on the issue. However, the passing of time, the changes that everyone will one day notice in their surroundings, appearance, health – all remind us that despite our reluctance to think about it, time still flows mercilessly. At such a time, you may feel overwhelmed by everyday life and the world around you, and experience ailments associated with a lowered mood. Many people will certainly tell you that everyone has worse days or moments. However, if your bad mood and lousy mood haven’t left you for some time, then you should start considering that you are going through an existential crisis.
Crisis
When you are experiencing an existential crisis, you may start asking yourself a lot of serious questions, such as:
- Who am I?
- Where am I headed?
- What is my purpose in life?
- What is important to me?
- How do I see myself in 5 years?
- What have I actually achieved?
It is often difficult to find answers to these questions, then we start to feel lost, as if something is out of our hands and out of our control. Thus, one can also quickly begin to feel emptiness, a sense of confusion and helplessness.
The loss of purpose, perspectives, a sense of meaning, the misunderstanding of loved ones – all these things together add up to an experience of existential crisis. This is also the point at which some people begin to question the values they have held, until now guiding them through life. It happens that their worldview is reevaluated and the person begins to change. Her behavior does not resemble that to which her immediate environment has become accustomed. People going through a crisis may abandon their religion, change jobs, move or even cut themselves off from their loved ones.
Causes of existential crisis
When experiencing existential pain, it is important to remember that it can happen to anyone, regardless of gender, age or financial situation. Everyone is susceptible to it, even people who are wealthy and seemingly successful in life, settled and surrounded by close people.
The existential crisis described, however, is often rooted in the advent of the so-called “midlife crisis”. This happens in both women and men. It is assumed that those suffering from it are around forty or fifty years old. In a way, this has to do with the fact that it is often at this age that people realize how much time has already passed, and they then begin to consider the decisions that led them to where they are currently. Sometimes they regret their life choices or feel disappointment with what fate has brought them. Passing and the awareness of it are often the fuse of the crisis, as people begin to realize that their existence is fleeting and that life will simply end one day. The causes of existential crisis are thus manifold.
Existential crisis is also sometimes a reaction to a trauma experienced in life. The enormity of the suffering that sometimes befalls a person causes him to start asking himself questions about the meaning of life so-called existential questions. It is sometimes difficult to accept that some of the misfortunes and pain that happen to a person in his life are simply accidental and have nothing to do with our actions.
However, the concept of unavoidable, unintentional suffering is very difficult to accept, and some people begin to wonder and dither about whether it could have been avoided and what was the point of the experiences they endured. When they cannot find answers to their questions, then they feel existential pain and go through a crisis. This is especially led by so-called borderline situations, that is, events that can change a person’s life forever. This is, for example, the unexpected death of a loved one, involvement in an accident, a sudden change in life situation such as emigration.
The threat of crisis also hides in everyday life and in ordinary situations that virtually everyone experiences in their lives. Sometimes it gets mothers whose children have already left the family home. If you devote a lot of time and commitment to your offspring, after they reach adulthood, when your son or daughter no longer needs your care, you may begin to feel the emptiness and the unforgiving effects of time passing. The change in social role often leads to a significantly lowered mood, a sense that your life is passing, and you don’t know what to do with yourself next. You then ask yourself, did your past decisions even make sense?
Routine, lack of variety, leading a monotonous lifestyle – these are also factors that often lead a person to question the validity of his entire reality. They provoke us to wonder if surely the choices we made in life turned out to be right and beneficial.
Another situation that can turn out to be the beginning of a crisis, for example, is divorce. Separation from a long-term partner, the complete breakdown of a routine and familiar life, or even a change of residence – all of these can push a person to reflect on his life and try to understand how he got to where he is.
Existential crisis – symptoms
Existential crisis can have many faces, and in everyone it can manifest itself in different ways. Most often it appears with symptoms such as a sense of emptiness, lowered mood, recurring anxiety, stress or even despair and cause deep suffering and pain. Many people also experience a sense of loneliness, feeling that no one understands what a difficult process we are going through. Experiencing symptoms and mental suffering over time can also lead to physical symptoms. Especially dangerous is chronic stress, which causes many psychosomatic symptoms. These can include, for example, pains of various kinds, such as migraines, decreased immunity, lack of energy.
Midlife crisis vs. existential crisis
Midlife crisis and existential crisis are closely related. A midlife crisis often leads to an existential crisis or may be a special case of it. Both types of crises can occur simultaneously, especially during middle age. It is worth noting that both a midlife crisis and an existential crisis can be opportunities for personal growth and reevaluation of life. While they can be difficult, they often lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and one’s place in the world.
Characteristics of a midlife crisis:
- Is one of the developmental crises, usually occurring between the ages of 40 and 60.
- It is characterized by reflection on past life and achievements.
- It is associated with the awareness of the passage of time and reaching the “halfway point” of life.
- It can lead to stagnation, sadness and a sense of meaninglessness, which in extreme cases can threaten depression.
Existential crisis vs. depression
After reviewing the symptoms of pain and crisis, you may wonder, is existential crisis the same as depression? Although they share many symptoms, they are not uniform. Some even use the term existential depression, which is a term for a condition in which a person loses a sense of purpose or questions the meaning of his existence. However, it is worth remembering that depression is an illness – directly affecting mental health; while a crisis is sometimes interpreted as a difficult stage in life, which is followed by experiencing ailments such as stress or anxiety. The causes of both existential crisis and depression can vary from person to person, but some common factors include: stress, difficult life events or changes, relationship problems, financial problems or other external factors.
Depression and the ailments experienced as a result of it sometimes become a source of existential crisis. The inability to cope with the disease leads to severe suffering, and thus also precisely to crisis and to despair about one’s life. Patients are very anxious to find out what has led them to feel this way and have to face such severe ailments.
Worsening pain, inner turmoil, loneliness, lowered mood also lead the other way – the person experiencing the crisis begins to suffer from depression, which significantly hinders his return to normal functioning.
How to deal with an existential crisis?
Many people wonder how to overcome an existential crisis when it involves such difficult issues and painful experience? First of all, remember that you are not alone with your fears and they are a universal experience for many people. Existential crisis is also often associated with perceived physical and mental ailments, which can be fought and countered.
When you’re struggling with symptoms such as lowered mood, feelings of anxiety, severe stress or lowered energy, it’s a good idea to ask for help from a professional such as a psychologist or psychotherapist. During therapy – online psychotherapy, you can confide in the thoughts that plague you and the issues that bother you. Together with the therapist, you will get to their source and understand why they cause you anxiety. If your existential crisis is the result of a traumatic boundary situation, the therapeutic space is the best place to deal with it and work through it together with a specialist.
Remember that it is important to take care of your well-being, both mentally and physically, during such a difficult moment. Take care of yourself during this difficult period. If you have the opportunity, get some rest and ask your loved ones to help you with daily chores. It is important that others know how you feel and that you have people around you that you can rely on in any situation.
Also try to focus on small things that will bring you joy. Maybe it will be a new hobby or workshop, and a completely different environment will make you feel better? Don’t close yourself off to any solutions that can make you find meaning in your life again. Try to regain stability and control over things that occur in your daily life.
Sometimes recovering and overcoming an existential crisis is a matter of getting your priorities in order. Don’t be afraid of change. If you have too many responsibilities on your mind, give up some of them. If you feel that an acquaintance no longer serves you – don’t hesitate to have a serious conversation with your loved ones. If you are overwhelmed, on the other hand, by an excess of free time, then fill it with new activities. Also look for support groups in your area to benefit from the experience and help of other people who are going through the same thing as you.
Existential crises can be a difficult and overwhelming experience, but they can also have positive effects. An existential crisis is an opportunity to reflect on our lives and make meaningful changes that will improve our well-being. This reflection can help us better understand ourselves, our goals in life and the values we want to live by. It can also provide us with the motivation to take our actions, make changes and allow us to move forward. By facing our fears and accepting uncertainty, we can learn to better cope with life’s challenges and find ways to live a more fulfilling life.