Midlife Crisis: Myths That Keep People from Facing the Truth

The moment "midlife crisis" comes up online, a flood of reassuring narratives follows: it's a normal life stage, it will pass on its own, all you need is a shift in values. Dr. Saулitis invites a different look — professional and without illusions.

Myth One: "It's Just a Crisis — It Will Pass"

The most common mistake is treating what's happening as a temporary episode that will resolve itself. In the doctor's view, what is popularly called a "midlife crisis" is not a crisis in the sense of a passing upheaval — it is the endpoint of a long process. By the time a person reaches this state, years of damaging factors have already accumulated: genetic vulnerability, psychological trauma in childhood and adolescence, and toxic effects on the brain. All of this built up long before "middle age" arrived.

Myth Two: "The Problem Is External Circumstances"

Another frequent mistake is looking for the cause outside — the wrong job, the wrong relationship, the wrong city. The real issue, according to the doctor, is a mismatch between a person's biological age and their level of psychological development. When a forty-year-old is operating with the mental "software" of a twelve-year-old, no change of scenery resolves the underlying contradiction. Symptoms — disrupted sleep, irritability, panic attacks, depressive states — are merely consequences of this mismatch.

Myth Three: "Motivational Guidance Will Help"

The popular notion that the right mindset, the right book, or a motivating seminar is enough — is also an illusion. The doctor is direct: at this stage, what is at stake is the condition of the brain itself, and the approach must be fundamentally different. The priority is restoring the brain's functional capacity; behavioural patterns come after. Verbal encouragement does not work when there is real damage to brain structures.

Where Effort Actually Belongs

The doctor's core conclusion is uncomfortable but honest: once the syndrome has fully formed, the possibilities narrow dramatically — this is a point that is extremely difficult to reverse. That is precisely why the real leverage lies in prevention: not poisoning the brain with toxic substances, not allowing children to be traumatised, and creating conditions for healthy psychological development from the earliest age. One should not wait for "middle age" to start thinking about this.