It's A Crisis

A little over a year ago I was in Chicago for an anniversary party for two gay men who were friends of friends. Over breakfast one morning we discussed the fact that women and gay men have their midlife crisis early, closer to forty, as opposed to straight men, who experience a crisis closer to fifty.

Doing a little research on the internet, I have found I'm a pretty classic case, with many of the symptoms first appearing while I was in Austin, debating whether to continue on my current course or move somewhere new. From www.capitalhealth.ca:

Is change coming? Experts suggest the following signs indicate you may be in the process of reevaluating your life:

• Discontent with life or lifestyle
• Boredom with people and things in your life
• Dissatisfied with marital relationship
• Feelings of adventurousness, recklessness and desire to do something completely different
• Lack of zest for life
• Questioning the meaning of life and previous decisions
• Confusion about who you are and where your life is going
• Burnout or prolonged high level of stress
• Depression, continuous irritability, moodiness, overall apathy
• Inability to relax during downtime'
• Need to achieve more, thinking it will make you happy when you do
• Feelings of inadequacy or dependence
• Anxiety disorder, feelings of anxiety in general or feelings of anxiety about the future
• Alcohol, drug, gambling or other addictive behaviours
• Question the value of contributions at work

The question is whether making drastic changes in my life will have turned out to be the wisest course of action. I have a feeling I have another year or two of being stuck in this limbo.