Have you heard of the mid-life crisis? Maybe you have been told you are having one? Well what if that so called crisis was the most wonderful opportunity of your life?
The experience of what has become known as a mid-life crisis is often recognised by what can seem like a sudden dissatisfaction with life. This can be even more distressing for those who are successful in the material sense, they often say 'I have everything but feel like I have nothing!'
While we are familiar with stories about the effects of the menopause on women and the associated biological changes, the deeper questions and feelings of emptiness can often be dismissed as a hormonal imbalance. The challenging questions that arise in mid-life are not gender specific - they are simply part of the human condition. The question is 'how or where can we pause to deal with whatever is emerging?'
Carl Jung, the famous psychoanalyst, viewed the afternoon of life as an invitation to move from living on surface by diving deeper and addressing the unfulfilled life - where our socialised self causes us to become split from our true inner nature. 'Who am I if I am not my socialised self... ?' can be an interesting question that can open a pathway to our true depth.
Psychotherapy is an opportunity to explore these questions with the support of a skilled professional. The benefit of having a trained eye and ear to accompany you, is that they can provide a map of the unfamiliar territory you find yourself in. Unconscious material often becomes more active during a time of intense questioning and may leave you thinking there is something wrong with you - for example wild, weird, and wonderful dreams may start to happen. These can provide tremendous therapeutic opportunites with the right kind of support.
In summary, mid-life questions are natural and healthy. They deserve to be heard. Maybe the word menopause is giving us a hint? It is a time to take time, pause, and reflect.
You are welcome to contact me with any further questions you may have on 086 8545407, via my website www.psyche.ie, or e-mail me in confidence to info@psyche.ie
