Midlife: Crisis or Opportunity?

We've all heard the cliché about the guy who, as middle age approaches, ditches the family wagon for a red-hot sports car and trades in his wife for a younger model. This exaggerated response to reaching middle age certainly doesn't happen in every household. But it's not uncommon for both men and women to experience some form of 'midlife crisis.' What's to blame, and how can you survive it and even come out ahead? Here's what the experts have to say.

Are Hormones to Blame?

Some experts say hormones -- declining ones, that is -- play a role in the midlife crisis. "At midlife, males' biological production of testosterone begins to wane," says James Sniechowski, PhD, co-founder of the Men's Health Network, a national nonprofit. Men's overall drive and stamina diminish along with their sex hormones, says Sniechowski.

During middle age, women also experience the decline of a sex hormone, estrogen. But as a woman loses estrogen, another pre-existing hormone becomes more dominant. "The percentage of testosterone increases," says clinical psychologist Judith Sherven. As a result, says Sherven, many of her female patients report feeling more energy, more ambition, and more gumption -- characteristics typically attributed to males.

While Sherven suggests that females' changing ratio of testosterone to estrogen fuels these changes, she admits that what's happening in a woman's life may also account for a renewed sense of self. "Particularly for women who have stayed home with children, as their familial responsibilities decline they feel a drive to create something new," Sherven tells WebMD. Not necessarily the result of a 'crisis,' these changes are more aptly perceived as arising from midlife 'opportunities.'

Psychiatrist Robert Tan concurs. "After completing their family-raising duties, a lot of females have the urge to spend the next phase of their life challenged in new ways. They may return to school, start a business, or otherwise launch themselves into another productive phase," says Tan, associate professor of geriatrics at the University of Texas.

While medical experts do not dispute the physiological changes that occur during midlife, not everyone agrees that hormones drive the midlife crisis. "Because the timing of hormonal decline coincides with midlife, there's some confusion. But the midlife crisis is really more of a psychological phenomenon than a hormonal issue," Tan says.

When Midlife Leads to Depression

For some, says Tan, a midlife crisis can trigger depression. "The adjustment to midlife may make people unable to cope with reality. Feelings, like 'I'm inadequate,' or 'I can't perform,' may follow," Tan tells WebMD. These emotions, particularly when repressed, can cause depression to surface. Men tend to be at greater risk. "Men, by and large, do not express themselves well," Tan says.

But that may be changing. "There are more options for men to make real connections these days," says Glenn Good, PhD, associate professor of counseling at University of Missouri. "There's increasing support for men to have real friendships -- outside of the sports bar, the gym, or sporting events." In a more supportive environment, men confronting midlife may be willing to talk about things they wouldn't otherwise, like waning feelings of invincibility and uncertainty about the future.