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| Mid Life Crisis is a Metamorphosis |
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Mid life crisis has been identified and written about for hundreds of
years, but that does not make it any easier for the person going
through one, and most especially for a husband or wife mystified and
frightened as they watch in horror as the person they thought they knew
so well behaves in new, different, and sometimes nutty ways.
I
see this sort of thing frequently in my practice, and even went through
one myself back in my late 20's. At the time I felt like I was
wrestling with two parts of myself, the part that wanted to conform and
fit in to what society and my family expected, and the part of me that
hungered for the freedom to do what I wanted without any sorts of
constraints. It turned out that this is exactly what was going on, and
the key to reconciling these two parts is to work it out with a
therapist who can help you understand the journey, assist you in
finding the new (and better!) you, and who will coach you not to make
drastic and life-changing decisions until the dust from this mid-life
"crisis" settles.
Although people refer to the metamorphosis
that millions of Americans go through as a "mid life" crisis, I
typically see it in young people between the age of 28 and 33. If a
person is older than that, then they usually initially had the feelings
of confusion during the years 28 to 33, but have held them inside for
years until holding it in became unbearable. Part of what is going on
is literally the need to shed the child and immature self, like a
butterfly's cocoon, and blossom into your more mature adult self. Some
people do this more gracefully than others, and that is why many will
say things like, "Bob has lost his mind, he must be having a mid life
crisis," when the truth is that Bob has not lost his mind, he is simply
finding himself. A therapist provides a crucial piece to helping a
person find his or her way through this blossoming of self, so that it
is achieved smoothly and safely for all involved.
For more information or an appointment call 210-771-5939 or email becky@doctorbecky.com.
DoctorBecky.com Copyright 2009
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