Men should be wary of "midlife crisis". Depression can easily lead to a vicious cycle

male Psychological people become most depressed in middle age

No matter which way you look at it, 40-year-old Rob Brandenburg is a "lucky man": he is the CEO of a metal craft company and has a beautiful wife and three children. A family has an enviable villa in the Adelaide Hills of Australia. But one day, he sat in his five-star hotel room and asked himself: "Why do I feel so empty? ”

This was the beginning of Brandon Buger’s midlife crisis. He feels gradually alienated from his wife. He seems to be a stranger in the family. No matter how much money he makes in his career, it is meaningless.……

“All this does not seem to be the life I want," he said. "It will not bring me any sense of satisfaction. All I feel is burden and emptiness. ”

a psychologicalhealthyResearch results show that male depression reaches its peak in middle age. Compared with men in other age groups, the rate of depression among men aged 35 to 55 is significantly higher. Experts point out that this cannot simply be understood as spiritual disease, but is closely related to the physical and psychological conditions of men in this age group. Anne Brailsford, a psychological counselor and author of "Midlife Marital Crisis," said: "[Middle-aged] men will suddenly have a sense of panic: Oh, my God, I am in middle age and I haven't done everything I want to do. They ask themselves: 'As life goes by, do I still have time? ’The thought makes them panic. ”

When men in midlife crisis become depressed, there will be a series of adverse consequences: To relieve their boredom, they may squander their pensions, stay home late as they did in their youth, start flirting with girls half their age, and even abandon their homes and children.

Crisis symptoms are more closely linked to work

A joint study by the United Kingdom and the United States showed that people's happiness throughout their lives shows a U-shaped curve. They are happiest when they are young and old, and then fall into a trough in middle age. The "trough" is around the age of 44. In other words, a person's life generally feels good in the early and late stages, but the middle period is full of hardships. Around the age of 44, it is the time when one feels the worst. This "test" usually lasts for several years and is known as the midlife crisis. In addition, the timing of the trough is different for men and women. Judging from the situation of respondents in the United States and the United Kingdom, femaleThe mid-life crisis usually occurs in the 40s, and for men it does not occur until the age of 50.

At the same time, marriages also hit a low point in midlife, especially for couples with children. Research shows that the newlywed period is the happiest stage in a couple's marital life. When the children are about 12 years old, marital happiness gradually declines. After the children become independent, the happiness gradually increases again. Marital happiness in old age can even transcend the honeymoon period.

What are the differences in the causes and consequences of midlife crises for men and women? Brailsford said midlife crisis symptoms were more closely associated with work in men than in women. In other words, if a man feels that his job is losing meaning, it can quickly affect other aspects of his life.

Women are more likely to receive care and support during menopause. In fact, middle age is a time when many women get rid of the fetters of family and face more challenges. Men during this period evolved from the original "Superman"” DreamWant to fall back to reality, at the same time, the symptoms of midlife crisis will be intensified by some changes, such as the death of a loved one, changing jobs, unemployment, and failed marriages. If you smoke and drink alcohol when you are young, middle age is also a period when men are susceptible to the disease.