I found this view/opinion on how do midlife crisis end interesting, so thought I would share.
How do midlife crises end?
It depends on several factors: the person's gender, the person's age, the person's stamina, the strength of the support network, where in the process the person is, how difficult the behavior becomes.
Again, midlife crisis is a special kind of hell when the person going through it thinks that everyone around (loved ones, kids, partners) are against them.
So, they turn to any and all means to alleviate the pain.
The duration varies - yet specific question is about the outcome.
How does it end?
Well, it depends on gender, mostly.
Males and females have vastly different reasons for spiraling out of control during the midlife crisis: not that usual explanation that each person is different but the actual gender-based differences which underline the nature of the crisis.
If this person is relatively young - meaning the person has a life partner, or perhaps young kids, which means that there is a lot to lose if succumbing to the debilitating urges of the crisis, then there is a chance of a recovery and a return to the family.
If the person is on the outer age range for the crisis, where kids are grown/out of the house, the mortgage is paid off, assets are accumulated, and there's less to lose (other than separating equity gained in the course of the marriage), the recovery will be questionable.
Outcomes have a lot to do with the person's stamina of keeping life in a more or less stable form: if a person is prone to hot-headed decisions and sporadic outbursts and lack of self-control (such as quitting a job without any pre-planning), this can lead to the ruin.
If a person is more stable - returning back to that "a lot to lose" statement - the person will be acting out, yet will remain attached to the previously existing life and people, and has a greater likelihood of rejoining the normal world.
This is why the support network cannot be understated.
If this person's partner and kids (if any), are waiting patiently for this storm to pass, and if they can tolerate the outrageous and at times inexcusable behavior (acting out will be brought on a whole new level, even another planet during this time) - and if this all is treated as just acting out, a temporary mental incapacity which will pass, the reconciliation and the recovery are highly possible.
The difficulty of the behavior depends on what the partner/kids can tolerate. Some things can be written off, some can be overlooked, others must be reprimanded. It is up to the partner to dictate the rules and establish boundaries - but only if the partner is able to stomach the outcome.
And then again, we are back to the stages of the midlife crisis.
If the person is almost out of these woods - and I am referring to the » The 5 Stages of Loss and Grief - and is almost on the last stage of acceptance, the outcome is positive.
If the person never moves past the denial (very first phase) or moves forward only to bounce back (regression), it all depends on how intensely determined this person is in their actions: some ruin themselves, others later wake up to see what they've done, and some never wake up to this option.
If the midlife crisis is left alone, it will rapidly progress from bad to worse. It will cause tremendous pain.
And it all depends on how strong the partner is - since the person going through the crisis is engulfed in flames of rage and anger, this person is not rational (regardless of their IQ level), this person can't make proper decision, and this person is basically incapacitated.
This is why the partner is the one setting the boundaries, enforcing them, checking how much will be/won't be tolerated, what is acceptable and what is not, and how to mitigate the damage that is done.
There will be damage, and lots of it - and person causing the damage won't see any of it until either the union is dissolved or they wake up from this horrific nightmare.
Sometimes your heart needs more time
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