Existential crisis: what is it and how to overcome it

What is an existential crisis?

In simple words, this is the very loss of the meaning of life. And, as experts say, this is one of the most important problems in psychology.

Initially, existentialism was a purely philosophical concept. And such minds as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Karl Jaspers wrote in their works about the uniqueness of human existence or “existence”. Existentialists did not just study existence within a separate category, but focused on how a person himself evaluates and comprehends his life.

The problem of the meaning of life, the crisis of its loss, and the existential crisis itself was well described by the psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who visited a fascist concentration camp. Then he noticed that under the same conditions, people of approximately the same age and life experience, withered and died, while others continued to live. He explained that the prisoners found the strength to resist the circumstances because they were able to formulate a meaning for themselves - why all this was for. The belief that they were going through all these inhuman tests for the sake of something greater helped them hold on.

Moreover, according to statistics from the post-war years, people who were able to find the answer to this question had happier and longer healthy lives. Thus, most of the remaining centenarians in the world are people who went through concentration camps. And this is no coincidence.

The question of finding the meaning of life for a person is basic. Our psyche and consciousness are structured in such a way that it inevitably tries to comprehend the world around us, to give it logic, and therefore predictability. And at the same time, reflection is superimposed on the picture of awareness of the world - thinking about one’s mental state, a tendency to analyze one’s experiences.

This means that against the backdrop of a changing and contradictory world, our own psyche is trying to help us understand ourselves. Understand who we are in this reality, our functions and tasks. Simply, answer the question: why are we here?

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An existential crisis can affect a person at any age, but there is usually always a specific cause. Often people experience an existential crisis after a serious, life-changing event. In some cases, the crisis even causes severe depressive disorder. A state where everything loses meaning can be provoked by the loss of a loved one, awareness of one’s own mortality, or a feeling of dissatisfaction with life. Also, less serious events may well become a trigger - a move, a new place of work, or a feeling of guilt for what happened.

Reasons for the loss of meaning in life

An existential crisis often occurs after significant life events, such as:

• death of a loved one;
• change of place of work;
• diagnosing a life-threatening disease;
• experiencing a traumatic experience;
• marriage, divorce;
• birth of children;
• development of age and midlife crisis.

Individuals with mental disorders such as anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and depression are more likely to develop an existential crisis.

Who is experiencing an existential crisis?

Usually, when it comes to existential crises, many people nervously roll their eyes. Like, what kind of crises are there when you spend the whole day spinning like a squirrel in wheels and have no time to look out the window, not to mention think about the meaning of life. Only this is an existential crisis, this is a stage. Which sooner or later everyone goes through who has met their basic needs and achieved success at a certain level.

We often hear stories about successful and wealthy people who suddenly begin to talk about the loss of meaning. At the same time, outwardly, formally, everything is fine with them. They have material wealth and a position in society, which generally gives them the opportunity not to worry about the future.

Only this is not enough for them to be happy. But for people who are primarily busy providing the most basic necessities for themselves and their families, it seems that these successful people are running amok and are simply trying to increase their own worth.

But the moment the critic takes the place of the person in crisis, everything falls into place. Now he no longer feels joy, although it would seem that he has achieved success in the eyes of others. The answer to this question also occupied Viktor Frankl. In my book, I even noticed the example of young successful Americans who often broke down and focused not on living, but on wasting their lives. Many even had suicidal attempts to end their seemingly miserable existence. In the notes they left, they often found the following lines: “I have everything. But I don’t know why I should live.”

Crisis manifestations

If you are experiencing anxiety and depression, this does not mean that you are in crisis. These emotions are associated with distress when they are accompanied by a need to find meaning in life.

Existential decline is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Depression. It may include loss of interest in favorite activities, fatigue, headaches, feelings of hopelessness and constant sadness. Suicidal thoughts may also arise. Hopelessness in this type of depression is deeply connected to a sense of the meaninglessness of life. You may be wondering about the purpose of all this: “Am I living just to work, pay bills and eventually die?”
• Anxiety. Discomfort and anxiety are felt constantly. The person is upset, nervous and concerned about the afterlife.

In severe cases, obsessive-compulsive disorder develops, when thoughts about the meaning of life and your purpose “put pressure” on your mind. This may manifest itself as having to ask questions over and over again and not being able to relax until your questions are answered.

Types of existential crises

Despite their general nature, existential crises come in different types and intensities. Let's look at the main ones.

1. The crisis of freedom and responsibility. A person may be overwhelmed by circumstances that force him to make a choice. He rethinks the significance of his responsibilities at work or school. People begin to doubt the meaning of choices in life, argue with themselves about freedom and ask themselves whether they are capable of changing anything in life.
2. a crisis of death and mortality when they realize that they are dying. As a rule, it strikes several times throughout life - in early childhood, in adulthood, and in old age. Aging is usually directly related to this type of thinking.

1. The crisis of lack of purpose. Having lost all life goals, people find themselves in an existential void. They are overwhelmed by anxiety, they lose balance in life and the ground disappears from under their feet. Although nothing actually happens. The thing is that our brain does not tolerate idleness, and the absence of any activity is perceived by it as a terrible punishment.

If we continue to live aimlessly and disorganized as we age, sooner or later the brain will begin to return to past events. We will be tormented by obsessive thoughts about past mistakes, losses, and bad decisions. We fall into existential despair, which creeps up unnoticed and forces us to reflect on the past. And of course, without any efficiency for the future and the present, although this does not give us anything.

Existential human problems

Guilt is an integral part of human existence. The difference between adequate guilt and neurotic guilt lies in the motivating factor. Neurotic guilt is based on imaginary offenses allegedly directed against the social environment, parental orders, and generally accepted social norms. Normal guilt is an appeal to conscience; simply put, it encourages individuals to attach great importance to the ethical aspects of their own behavior.

Existential guilt is considered a variation of guilt. There are three forms of it. The first is a consequence of the inability to live according to one’s own potential. For example, people feel guilty when they think they have harmed themselves. The second is based on a distortion of the reality of the individual’s comrades. People may believe that they have harmed loved ones or friends. The third is the “guilt of division”, the object of this variation of guilt is nature as a whole.

Existential guilt is universal. It is nested in self-awareness and does not represent the result of non-compliance with parental “directives”, but it follows from the view that the human subject can perceive himself as an individual who can make choices and cannot. Hence, the concept in question is inextricably linked with personal responsibility. Guilt of an existential nature should not a priori be considered neurotic guilt, but it has the resource necessary for transformation into neurotic guilt. Moreover, if you correctly approach the variation of guilt under consideration, then it can benefit the human subject. It often contributes to the formation in individuals of the ability to reconcile with the world and sympathize with surrounding subjects, as well as the development of a creative resource.

Existential guilt towards one’s own person is a payment that an individual pays for the failure to realize one’s own destiny, for detachment from one’s own feelings, alienation of one’s own person from one’s thoughts and desires. Simply put, the concept described can be expressed as follows: “If an individual admits that he can change a certain trait or habit now, he will be forced to admit that he could have changed it a long time ago. Consequently, he is to blame for the wasted years, for his own losses and failures.” Therefore, the older an individual is, the greater his specific problem or general dissatisfaction with existence, the deeper his existential guilt towards himself will be.

How to find the meaning of life again?

You can start with the famous saying of Walter, who said: “There is only as much meaning in a person’s life as he himself finds in it.”

It contains a clue that shows that everything comes down to action, not idle thinking. The meaning of life cannot be “sit out” and invented. It is always a search for ideas, activities, preferences.

There is no universal answer to the question about the meaning of life, just as there is no universal life. This is probably why in the world of philosophical teachings there are countless people who claim to be mentors for humanity. We are talking about religions, movements, beliefs. Some find meaning in life in caring for children, some in serving God, some in a career or creativity. Moreover, in each individual case the path to the answer will be different.

The only mistake here would be blind imitation. If you thoughtlessly want to copy someone's life, success and values. A person, of course, has the right to agree with the proposed external recipe, but if he has his own, this is only a plus.

1. Rethink your... thoughts

The way life works is that we are always captive of our thoughts and build our lives in accordance with them. The more positive the thinking, the easier it is for us to act. And vice versa, the more active we are, the fewer destructive thoughts in our head. Therefore, it is very important to change your mindset by doing things that add value to your life. Help others if you still can’t do it yourself and launch a boomerang of positive changes in your life.

2. Keep a notebook or diary

Journaling can be a great way to release negativity from your body and mind onto paper. Make lists of people, places and situations in your life that are positive or negative. Then you can try keeping a gratitude journal, where you need to enter information about people who have shown kindness to you - even the smallest. This is a clear picture of the fact that in fact we often focus on the negative moments in life and do not notice the good and positive ones.

3. Ask yourself the right questions

Just don’t start with questions like “what is my goal?” or “what will happen when I die?” They will only make the situation worse. Break them down into smaller ones, such as “what can I do this week to add value to my life?” or “how can I be less afraid of death?” In small steps you will reveal the answer to a fundamental question. And not necessarily right away.

4. Do your research

Sometimes we ask ourselves questions that really don't have answers. Is there life after our death? Are there other worlds? How to find your purpose? And many others. You can think about them for years, but it’s almost impossible to find the answer. Therefore, instead of banging your head against the unknown, psychologists advise exploring your own feelings. Watch videos, attend lectures, read, or go to church services if you feel like it. You can even ask one of your friends to become your mentor. Perhaps in a conversation with an outsider you will find the answer you are looking for.

5. Allow yourself to be agnostic.

Accept that it is impossible to know all the answers. Simply because it is sometimes impossible to ask the right questions or obtain scientific confirmation of phenomena. Our knowledge is limited. In these cases, it is important to take the pressure off yourself and stop demanding perfect answers to all questions. Accepting the fact that you cannot know everything will relieve tension and reduce the weight of an existential crisis.

6. Ask for support

We easily become self-absorbed when we are looking for lost meaning and interest in life... But at the same time, it is important to remember about the people who are in our lives. Discuss your feelings, ask questions to loved ones, listen to their advice and coping strategies. Remember that you are not alone in your feelings and there are people who support you no matter what.

7. Seek help from specialists

When it seems to you that all options to survive an existential crisis have been exhausted, there is always one more option left - the help of a doctor. Contact a psychotherapist or psychologist and talk to them about the feelings you are experiencing. Existential therapy is a special form of treatment. Here you lead the process yourself, talk about problems that matter to you, but do not examine life under a microscope.

The therapist can reframe your own questions so that you finally understand what you are experiencing. He will also offer a plan for upgrading your life: adding actions, people, tasks and ideas to get out of a state of stagnation.

Signs

The condition is accompanied by a feeling of loneliness and obsessive comprehension of existence. There are no obvious external manifestations of the crisis. A person may maintain the same cheerful behavior in public or become withdrawn. Inside, he experiences loneliness, fear and guilt.

Feeling lonely

An existential crisis is a persistent feeling of loneliness. Every day, people of different ages and at different points in life experience feelings of loneliness due to dissatisfaction with their appearance, indecisiveness or fear of being rejected.

The feeling of connection with the outside world and support from loved ones disappears. There comes an understanding of the loneliness of all people in the world. The person imagines that the realization of the fact came to him alone; those around him simply had not thought of it yet.

But every person is capable of turning such feelings into a useful direction. An individual who has accepted his loneliness, having studied it carefully and soberly, develops more successfully in life and builds relationships than others.

Real loneliness is being in solitary confinement, when a person sees an employee of the institution delivering food 3 times a day and has no other contacts. During an existential crisis, a person has a family, work, children, he visits entertainment and entertainment institutions, but feels lonely.

Not everyone is given the opportunity to realize this, but such human feelings are correct. He has no one except himself. The pain of one person cannot really be felt by another person.

Feelings of joy, happiness, shame, fear will also not be experienced by those who share their feelings with the individual. From the moment of birth, a person is separated from others by his own world, which he builds himself. Over the years, this distance increases. Everyone lives their life themselves, and makes their own life choices.

Reflections and knowledge about existence should not make life harder and worse, or lead to a crisis. The better an individual analyzes his loneliness, the better he will be able to get closer to other members of society.

Fear

Fears manifest themselves as an irresistible feeling of inexplicable, causeless anxiety in an existential crisis. Fear does not represent an actual threat that a person can counter. This fear is all-encompassing. It is pointless, which makes it different from the usual fear of dogs, spiders, cars, or flying on an airplane. It is causeless, so in a crisis it is felt by people from everywhere.

Psychologists consider it useful in moderate manifestations of existential fear. Everyone has such experiences. There is no way to get rid of them forever.

Some fears are based on a subconscious level and sometimes a person is not even aware of them. Such conditions do not require therapy because they are natural. Help is needed for people who have lost the opportunity to live normally due to the excessive presence of fear.

There are 4 main fears:

All fears are interconnected. The primary fear is the fear of death. It is fears that give rise to the sufferer’s question about the correctness of life, and the picture of the world after his death.

Guilt

An existential crisis is a mental state in which a person, in addition to experiencing fear and loneliness, blames himself for not realizing his potential and living life in vain. Reflecting on his place in society, he realizes that he did not live up to the expectations of his loved ones and blames himself for this.

A person begins to perform all the social tasks prescribed to him, losing his own “I”. Existential guilt pushes the individual to understand that he has sacrificed a lot in life, so all further decisions are blocked by him.

Existential crisis in cinema

The time has come when existentialism has become almost mainstream in 21st century society. We are reliving the crisis of our own identity, swapping values ​​and viewing life from the perspective of influencing it. The mental torment that the heroes of novels used to indulge in has migrated to the big screens. And now millions of people are discussing the difficult choice of the hero of a Hollywood thriller or psychological drama.

In part, this phenomenon also has a positive aspect. Psychologists say that by experiencing someone’s drama on the screen, we partially free ourselves from the burden of unresolved problems. And the fact that our history is not unique does not allow us to despair at all. They found a way out, so will we.

We decided to compile a selection of films where the main characters lose and find the meaning of life again.

Leviathan / Leviathan

2014

Mister nobody / Mr. Nobody

2009

Fight Club

1999

Revolutionary Road

2008

Always say “Yes” / Yes Man

2008

The Truman Show

1998

Fires/ Incendies

2011

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2004

Apocalypse Now

1979

Still Alice

2014

Perhaps in one of them, you will find out your problem and find answers that actually lie on the surface. Stay active and remember that every crisis will come to an end.

Tell us what existentialism is and why it is important?

Gennady Miropolsky 491 3 years ago Just imagine.

In the recent past, and even today - in the Russian-speaking world, in any case - this is a fashionable word, and like any fashionable word, its meaning must be treated with great caution. The beginning was made, as far as I understand, in France - by the writer and philosopher J.P. Sartre and his comrades. He, in turn, used the (completely misunderstood, as they say) philosophy of Martin Heidegger, who was not an existentialist at all. The central theme of M. Heidegger was the distinction between being and existence (existence, existence). Being is what gives the basis to existence (existence), and the memory of it is lost, and the question is lost. Roughly speaking, being is “more important,” but the path to it is overgrown. Being is not God. Because if God “exists,” then something gives him a reason to exist. And if there is no God, then there is nothing to talk about. Being is more important than God. So existence *(existence) turns out to be groundless, not supported by anything. Not only human, but “in general.” You were incorrectly written that existentialism is a reaction to rationalism. Quite the opposite. It is a consequence of the awareness of the absurdity (baselessness, illogicality, irrationality) of the existing, existent, existence. It makes no sense. No goal. No valuables. "Man is thrown into this world." — This is how the French existentialist roughly interprets “existentialism.” (But this is not the thought of M. Heidegger. More precisely, it is not his entire thought and not even the main one). A person in his existence (existence) is forced to make some decisions. Make a choice. But there are no (reasonable) reasons. Nothing to rely on. This is “existential” drama. In everyday life, this understanding has descended to the comical level: “I want to drink, but I don’t have money, which means I have to go work as an advertising manager or campaign for Putin. This is my existential choice." The existentialists themselves still had an idea of ​​the scale of the human crisis. Those. They still distinguished between “serious” questions of existence and “frivolous” ones (and since they distinguished, then, contrary to their theory, they still had some basis!). — Look, read the plays of J.P. Sartre. There are no long things there. It will become more or less clear to you what we are talking about. (Next an absurdist drama arises, but this is no longer quite “existentialism”).