The crisis of 50, a kind of prolonged adolescence

Have you already turned 50? If so, congratulations. This means that, in most cases, You have lived a large number of experiences and have reached an enviable maturity. However, turning 50 can also bring with it a series of problems/concerns/reflections. We are talking about the well-known “crisis of 50”. And about 82% of men suffer andropause when they reach the age of 50, while significant changes also occur at all levels.

The crisis of 50 is not just a thing for men who buy a sports car or a mountain bike. Most women find themselves in the position of facing important hormonal changes. Furthermore, when in a house, the “crisis of 50” is combined with that of adolescence… the problems multiply!

The “crisis of 50” and being a woman

Jill Shaw Ruddock writes in her book “The Second Half of your Life” that, when she reaches 50, the hormones that have regulated everything begin to retreat, causing changes in women. This manifests itself through anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, palpitations, disappointment and the urge to cry.

Turning 50, for them, can be something like getting on a roller coaster. During the “second half of life”, they reach the end of the fertile stage (menopause) in terms of reproduction. In this sense, it should be noted that the word menopause comes from the Greek “mens”, monthly, and “pausi” which means cessation.

The time has changed. In previous times, when one turned 50, it was normal for the children to be emancipated. Now reality may be very different for some families. Having children at home can make “the changes of 50” more challenging.

A good 52-year-old friend tells me that one day she got out of bed and looked in the mirror. She didn’t recognize herself. As estrogen levels decreased, the skin had lost elasticity and firmness.. Her hair had become thinner and more brittle.

But not everything is lost, in fact nothing or very little may be. The 50s of now are not like those of before in many ways. On the other hand, when you reach 50, a mid-century no more and no less, the voices of doubt inside your head are silenced. Women increase the coherence between the image they project and who they really are, becoming more creative and ambitious. Once the barrier has been passed, which represents a crisis in many cases, many look to the future with renewed enthusiasm.

Midlife crisis and andropause

8 out of 10 men suffer from andropause, something like male menopause. Andropause also coincides with the midlife crisis in men. Some identifiable signs of andropause are the following:

Decreased sexual desire, decreasing erectile function.Dry hair and skin.Increased body fat and sweating.Muscle weakness and insomnia.Increased irritability or anxiety.Alteration in the composition of the bones. The minerals necessary to strengthen them decrease.

When a man reaches 50, he may lose interest in completing projects that previously excited him.. Likewise, he may feel unable to generate new ideas and be less willing to compete with other men. Furthermore, a circumstantial drop in levels of self-confidence, tenacity, dynamism, etc. is not uncommon. This can cause a feeling of uneasiness, nervousness or irritability.

Men become more likely to develop depressive states when they reach mid-century: They accumulate more ballots so that their sadness and apathy take over them. Be careful, we are talking about probability, we are not saying that this is always the case.

When we reach 50, do we lose youth?

What seems clear is that The loss of youth increases the probability of a life crisis full of anxiety and uncertainty. This can cause these depressive states to flourish. Man does not know how to answer a series of existential questions that he did not ask himself before; or that it was done, but without caring so much about the answer.

Besides, identification with one’s own parents can occur. That is, as their parents age, they become more dependent on their children (who are now 50 or older). It will be easy for them to imagine or tend to think that what is happening to their parents now will happen to them in a short time. This projection of the future can generate a lot of sadness and deepen the crisis if there is a degenerative or chronic disease in the equation.

Also, When you reach 50, there are a series of recurring thoughts that usually appear in their heads and do not help too much. These thoughts can be like “I feel old”, “no one knows the music I like anymore” or “young people often call me Mr or Mrs”.

These types of thoughts become more and more frequent and cause feelings of emptiness, sadness and even fear. Thus, it is important to change these thoughts for others that cushion the feeling of disorientation that usually appears in crises or periods of great change.

Awareness of one’s own mortality

Although death is a concept that we deal with every day, it generally does not apply to ourselves. It is not adaptive to always be aware that one day we will die. Even so, At this time, the idea that the body deteriorates is related to its extinction and, although fear of dying does not appear, that idea does settle in a more palpable way in the mind.

Even so, many will think that 50 is a good age. We have reached a maturity that many young people would wish for themselves. Others will believe that, as the half-century has passed, they have lost youth and energy.

What is clear is that we cannot go back and We have no choice but to take care of our health and enjoy in the best way the possibilities and opportunities we have.; all of this, regardless of our year of birth.

How to enjoy middle age?

The fifth decade of life brings aspects that deteriorate and others that are missed, yes, but it also has good things. The effect of experience and psychological maturity as a positive aspect cannot be denied. How to take advantage of it? Here are some tips:

It matters less what others think: enjoy yourself. The spiritual part is worked on more, since attention is focused on physical and mental well-being. Focus on your health! Self-esteem is stronger and more complex, so you can give your best without the insecurities of the past. Better decisions are made: it is a good time for change. You are already aware that moments are They go and do not return: take advantage of the present in all its fullness.

And, above all, take advantage of the fact that haste is for young people. Now you have time to savor every minute, enjoy the good moments and build the new step by step, solidly.

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