Existential Crisis: When We Cannot Find Meaning In Our Life
The existential crisis It is one of those sources of emotional discomfort that seem not to be connected to the material conditions in which we live. It is perfectly possible to have achieved all the goals that we associate with the idea of ”success” in the society in which we live, and yet still feel empty, or even failures.
It can appear at any time in life, it also affects people with ample economic resources and can even be experienced by apparently successful men and women with a good social image. In fact, you can have everything that Western civilization considers as fundamental goals of human life, such as wealth, love and knowledge, but the existential crisis will still be there, relentless.
The obligatory question in these cases is: where is the part that fails? How do you know what a person suffering from an existential crisis needs? The lack of references and indications about where to move to feel good can be suffocating. Therefore, in this article we will see what the characteristics of the existential crisis are and what is done in therapy to intervene in it and find a solution.
Existential crisis: And now… what do I do with my life?
When the old mental schemes no longer work, the person who suffers an existential crisis feels that he does not know the path he should follow in life, nor can he visualize the goals he must pursue to achieve personal self-realization. This can be very mentally exhausting, and cause psychological disorders if the situation is not resolved correctly. On the contrary, if the individual overcomes this stage of life, he perceives that he has grown as a human being and that he is now a different person. stronger and more prepared to face difficulties that can occur on a daily basis.
The existential crisis manifests itself with intense feelings of psychological discomfort because the individual begins to question the reasons for your own existence It can also be said that the existential crisis is, basically, a identity crisis It happens when everything that we thought was under control is no longer under control. Our worldview becomes clouded unexpectedly, and our view of life needs updating because it is outdated. So we ask ourselves: what am I doing here? either What is the meaning of my life? Something that until now we seemed to have very clear.
Almost without realizing it, a new dawn surrounds us, and we must leave the comfort zone to face the new reality. Existential crises lead us to self-reflection, and it is a emotional cost because the resources we had always had are no longer useful. During this period of introspection we question aspects of life that until now did not concern us too much.
On the other hand, the existential crisis also has observable consequences in our way of behaving. Classically, either it generates apathy and disinterest in carrying out activities that we are not obliged to do due to our responsibilities, or we launch into trying new experiences in an almost desperate way, with the intention of filling our emptiness through sensations that keep us distracted. Both patterns of behavior can go to the point of being harmful, since if they become the central axis of our lives, they can give way to a depressive disorder and/or addictions.
When we feel that we do not have enough resources to get out of this existential void, anxiety does not let us sleep until we find the answer, that is, until we find a solution that makes us regain inner peace, and helps us visualize the path to follow again. This path forward refers to recovering one’s own identity and commitment to oneself. It is about finding meaning in our lives again.
The existential crisis can cause a radical change in our lives, because It can be an opportunity to reinvent yourself and set new goals But when the person suffering from an existential crisis enters a negative spiral in which he thinks that he does not have enough resources to overcome it, he can end up suffering from serious depression.
Not everyone experiences crises in the same way: some may experience it for a few weeks, others for a few months, and others for a few years. Long and intense existential crises often require help from a professional. When the crisis of one’s existence is resolved satisfactorily, you feel like you have reconnected with yourself and restructure your way of thinking. In turn, you can change old dysfunctional habits for more adaptive ones, and you can return to well-being.
When the person who suffers an existential crisis develops a negative image of himself, the world and the future, and dwells on his irrational beliefs about life; or when he has low self-esteem or a lack of confidence in his own resources, he can reach hopelessness, learned helplessness, major depression and even suicide.
When you can’t get over the discomfort of feeling empty
The way to face the existential crisis is different for each individual, since the path to follow to overcome it is a path to personal discovery, so it requires free will and self-knowledge. Individuals who are trapped in this crisis need to change their vision of the world, since they have cognitive schemes that are not adaptive, at least in part. Psychologists can serve as a guide for a person to discover the path for themselves, but they cannot offer definitive answers to the existential crisis; That is the patient’s job.
Even so, a psychologist can help his patient to have a more objective view of this situation and to know himself better, so that it is much easier to discover aspects of life capable of motivating and being exciting.
For example, a psychologist can be effective in helping an individual restructure their expectations and consider more realistic life plans. It is also a great support for knowing the values that are important to oneself, so that the projects that the patient proposes do not go against these.
On the other hand, psychotherapy can provide tools for self acceptance and correct emotional management. And it can help develop more effective and adaptive coping strategies that will not only be positive in overcoming the crisis, but also in empowering the patient on a daily basis.
