A 32-year-old bright IT professional, a topper from Orissa, suddenly stopped attending work when his colleagues attributed his rise to sycophancy. This passing comment was enough to cause distress and send him to a psychiatrist’s clinic.
Dr Harish Shetty labels this a mid-life crisis. “I discovered that his relationships were based on utility or on awe and admiration. He was the golden child of the family who was never reprimanded. He wasn’t taught to share his feelings and was emotionally underdeveloped."
According to experts, men in their 30s from the IT industry are worst hit by the mid-life crisis as compared to the professionals from other fields with poor EQ (emotion quotient). They have difficulty keeping pace with technology in their professions. Analyses psychiatrist Rajendra Barve, “In trying to keep up with youngsters in their career, professional in their 30’s start feeling obsolete. The crisis also strikes the most who are successful academically and in their careers, but have a poor EQ level.”
Explains Barve, “These are Type A personalities, who are also more prone to heart problems. They are smart, intelligent, achieve too early, too soon. They work hard, rise fast, but lack the skills to handle a personal crisis or manage people. They also lack introspection skills.
Traditionally believed to strike in the 40s now mid-life crisis hits both men and women in the mid-30s. With many careers on a fast track, individuals tend to “burn out” earlier these days and are suddenly faced with crises earlier in life. It begins with individuals questioning their objectives in life and realising that they have been chasing the wrong goals which has been causing more stress than a sense of well-being and happiness.
Sometimes this is compounded by a diminished sex drive as well as a sense of physical and psychological aging. According to psychiatrist Samir Parekh, “Life is a constant transition and stresses have gone up, but coping mechanisms have not. Competition, high pressure jobs, high financial investments, a nuclear family make for difficult transitions in the 30s.”