If you have had a midlife crisis, were you aware of it at the time, how did it effect you (both emotionally and how you acted)?

In retrospect, I wouldn't call anything I've experienced exactly a crisis, and I'm not sure how closely those things were associated with midlife either. But certainly there've been moments when I've re-evaluated my life and made some big changes, and getting older does have an impact on how I've seen things. But I might not be typical of men that might have what is usually called "a midlife crisis" because I've never been married or had kids, which I daresay would have a big influence on how you'd feel about life in your middle years.In my case, some of my experiences that might be a little bit what you're talking about include... In my early 30s I was working for a big corporation, and I had a realisation that even if I was really successful in my career there, I wouldn't feel fulfilled with that being what I'd done with my life.

So I left, and did some other things including founding a non-profit and doing some academic work. Then, over 40, I can certainly empathise with the stereotype of a midlife crisis in which people supposedly do stuff like buy motorbikes and date younger women, and things that seem inappropriate to others. Not that I exactly do such things, but I can well understand that if someone had always wanted a motorbike since they were a kid and never got round to it, round about this age you'd suddenly realise that if you don't do it now, you may never be able to do it at all.

There's a theory about the stages of dealing with a loss, like a bereavement, that says people typically go through phases of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I find that model has a lot of relevance to getting older as well, as at each life stage you deal with the "loss" of various things about yourself. One of the useful things about that model is that you can see that what looks like the same kind of behaviour (buying a motorbike, or suddenly taking up working out say) could actually be either a result of denial, trying to act like you're still twenty, or it could be the result of acceptance, realsiing that your motorbiking days might well be numbered and it's time to make the most of them while you can.

As for having regrets... I don't think regret is a constructive way to be about things. But in retrospect if had it to do all over again, or was advising someone else, there are things I'd do differently. The main thing being to realise how fast the time goes, and to have done more and done it younger.

Yes I have had a midlife crisis and no I was not aware of it or prepared for it. We are still dealing with it. When I say we I mean my children and myself.My children are dealing with the sudden death of their father and my one and only true love of my life.

One does'nt know the real and true meaning of love, and the respect for life until it happen's to you in our case it was very sudden. A person is lucky to find love in a lifetime, well I was one of those person's and I will truley remember the greatest thing on earth and that is LOVE. I will alway's embrace the feeling and the memorie's we once shared with each other.

So alway's remember if you find that one and true love treasure it with all your heart and sole and alway's remember that life is to short so make the best of every situation that come's your way.

I still am not in this crisis, I have another 10 years. I log in it will see.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.