Midlife Transition

Objectives * Describe the general characteristics of the period from 20 through 39. * Explain what midlife transition is. * Describe family relationships and crises during the midlife adulthood period. * Explain the problems with our attitude toward death.

Defining Adulthood
Adulthood is not just one time of life but many. Adulthood can be divided into different periods. For convince we will call the ages 20 to 39 early adulthood, 40 to 59 middle adulthood, and from age 60 to late adulthood. A person’s actual age may well be less important than that person’s experiences and outlook on life. Early Adulthood: 20-39
Some star earlier and other later, sometimes during their 20s and 30s, most people take on the adult
In the US, the age of 49 signals the true beginning of “middle age.” However in the Midlife, there is often a sense of urgency involved. As people realize that they are no longer young, they begin to think in terms of how many years they have left. They start to focus on signs of physical decline and an awareness of aging. Not everyone become miserable and depressed. For some people, this is the time for reassessing their life’s goals and refocusing their energies on new interests and activities. For others, it is the time if terrible upheaval and loss of purpose. Midlife crisis is not inevitable.

Middle Adulthood: 40-59
Men become more emotionally expressive and warm, more giving of themselves than before. Relationships begin to be more important than career or money. Women are growing more independent and assertive, more determined to go out in their own and do what they want to do instead of making so many compromises for the family. For a while, this situation can create conflicts. As the husband turns to his family to develop his more tender side, the wife is out pursuing her own interests. Marital satisfaction is at an all time low.
The Empty Nest Period
The empty Nest Period is the time of life after the children leave home, mothers especially feel useless and depressed when the children leave and the “nest” is empty. Most studies now show that the majority of women do not
Since both men and women have both, men and females hormones, this means that as the female hormone diminishes, the male hormone becomes more dominant. Physical symptoms include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, and occasional heart palpitation. Some women experience menopause acne.
Late Adulthood
As we grow older, we attempt to bring the pieces of our lives together, to reflect on all that we have done, to see ourselves as part of the cycle of life on Earth. Some of the major tasks we face include adjusting to an increased number of deaths among friends, accepting what we have not be able to do and preparing for our own eventually death.
Along with the great increase of older people has come a major expansion in a branch of psychology called gerontology which is the study of aging and older people.
The Aging Process
As a culture we put a premium on youthfulness to ridiculous degree, people in other countries fight aging, but most recognize that older people may have grown wiser from their vast experience and should be valued and sought out for this