[Rollercoasterider]

Susan Krauss Whitbourne initially wrote about it on her Psychology Today blog: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201207/the-top-10-myths-about-the-midlife-crisis
 
Had I seen that post I might have included it in my paper showing how academics are twisting the facts. For instance, Whitbourne says that the number reporting they had an MLC was small, but fails to give that percentage. For the record, for men it was 25.4% and 26.3% for women. Small is truly relative. I mean, seriously, how many of you think that 26% is small as an MLC rate?
Her argument about the age span is valid. I've looked at the research but have not seen the specific numbers. How many of those were outliers and what was the percentage of those not outlying? I hope researchers aren't abusing it and trying to dismiss the reportings because one idiot out of 3000 said they had an MLC at age 17 and another out of the 3000 said they had one at 72. (I don't recall the high end of the age range, but the low was something like 17 or 18, even though Whitbourne implied it was 30.
I personally think (and hope) 26% is WAY high, but then self-reporting lacks credibility to me anyway.
 
I have written EXTENSIVELY on this in my academic paper I put upon the homepage last December.
It is long and it is academic, but I'd love to hear what people think. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/187BK2Z
Part of me wants to post a comment to Whitbourne's blog--and I may--but the paper I wrote is the comment--it says everything I want to say and more, so I may just post a small bit with a link. We'll see.

[OldPilot]

It is long and it is academic

I read it, my first take is the same as yours.
I am just wondering if the message gets lost in here,

Maybe if you broke it up into a few papers it might be better, and then cited each paper with in the main body.

Of course I am not sure who your audience is for this paper.

I already believe most of what is written, or is it for the person that does not believe in MLC?

There is a ton of information in there, and overall I think you make your point.

Sorry to be so critical, that was not really my intention.

The age range I find interesting.
Being that I am already past the age range and have not had an MLC that I know of.
Although I will admit to being an LBS which might be my crisis of the century.

The only other thing that I noticed is that you did not use Gail Sheedy as a citiation at all, that could help with the different transitions that occur each decade.

Thanks for sharing this paper.
I will try to re-read it again in the future and see if I can add anything else.

[Thundarr]

I'll read it later when I have time.  I've certainly read my share of academic papers in my time so I'm looking forward to it.  Anything to help make sense of this insanity is greatly appreciated.

[Rollercoasterider]

I read it, my first take is the same as yours.
I am just wondering if the message gets lost in here,

Maybe if you broke it up into a few papers it might be better, and then cited each paper with in the main body.

Of course I am not sure who your audience is for this paper.

I already believe most of what is written, or is it for the person that does not believe in MLC?

There is a ton of information in there, and overall I think you make your point.

Sorry to be so critical, that was not really my intention.

Oh, I don't find you critical, just honest. I'd love for academics and others to read it, but I don't know how to get them as an audience and more importantly for them to see me as credible.
Really, I just wanted to write something more academic. I found this to be a good topic because I'd been wanting to say so much about this and the data and research was from academic sources rather than professionals writing for the general public, so it was natural that my response be academic as well. I put it on the home page because I want it public somewhere, but I really do not see LBSs as the audience other than to confirm what you already think and believe.
So a lot of my work may be at a high reading level ex. The Shadow series. But it was not about data and research--James Hollis and Robert Johnson were two of my main influences, so professionals writing for the public. Presenting data is different. The Shadow is subjective and data objective.

[Faithfully Yours]

RCR,

Thank you for writing an academic paper on the topic and I plan to read it this evening. I had A LOT of issues with the Huffngton Post article, especially since someone in MLC will never or in rare instances admit that they have MLC or need help. In fact from what I have learned in my short time on this forum, if they admit to having MLC then they most certainly aren't in MLC. My H is textbook MLC and is full blown infatuation with the OW at the moment. He would never admit to being in MLC and he would probably tell me in not so nice language that I am the one who is two tons of crazy. As a newbie, we need facts and we need the academic proof behind it. In the early stages, it is easy to want to believe everything that you read. However, this site and forum have given me the most information and support of anything that I have found. It is not based on warm and feely stuff, but facts and that is what is needed early in the crisis. This is just my opinion though. Thanks again for sharing the link to your research.

[Anjae]

If you ask me 25.4% and 26.3% is way high. Both are over 1/4 and that is a lot. If we consider many people do not have  clue thay had a MLC the number may be higher.

Or it may not. I've noticed that people who've had what we call a MLT say they had a MLC, so it would depend of the criteria one is using.

As for the paper. I've read it when you made it available. From my view you do not have MLC as a disease or disorder (please forgive if I'm wrong) and that may make if hard to pass the study for academics. Oat least to some academics.

What is MLC? A circunstance that, sometimes, hits people in midlife?... That is more or less what I get from the paper.

"Presenting data is different. The Shadow is subjective and data objective."

True but the Shadow comes from Jung studies and Jung was an academic. Again, I think it will depend to who will the paper reach. Also, teen anger has a cause, or several. It is cause by hormonal and biochemical factors.

Same for MLCers, of course. MLC is more than just a psycological/develpmental crisis. And it could be said that many, if not all, psycological problems have hormonal or biochemical factors.

Jung was working on what was visible, he was not doing studies on the hormones, brain and biological factors and how they relate to MLC.

You know I tend more to the neuro/biological factors than to the emotional/psycological/development ones.

To answer the question in your paper here are my views:

"1. MLC is or is not universal? - It is not universal. Not everyone has MLC.
2. MLC is or is not a disease or psychiatric syndrome? - It a psychiatric disease or syndrome (bipolar and depression are not universal but they are psychiatric diseases. MLC has a big neurological component, just like all psyciatric disorders/syndromes)
3. MLC is or is not real something experienced by some people? - MLC is real and experienced by some people.

There is one thing that needs to be said, and that here we often forget, MLC is experienced by single people.

For me MLC takes 3/3.5 years to 7/7.5 years for men and 3/4.5 years for women. average, of course.

It would made not difference if society would not accept divorce. Except that the MLCer may end up in jail or dead (by suicide or judicial sentence). The crisis would not stop, or be different, just because divorce was not an option.

"Depression, confusion and choosing actions such as infidelity or to blame others and to avoid or deny are internal and thus symptoms of MLC; they are not causes." ... uhhh... wiithout depression there is no MLC. Depression is not a symptom. The other may be symptoms of the depression/crisis but depression is one of the causes.

It does not make a difference if we see MLC as a development phase, a lack of development in the past, unresolved childhood issues, neurochemical, hormonal or other (or all/several of those) depression is always required.

I have never knew an MLCer, or former MLCer, that was not depressed. Ok, it could be argued that the depression come because of other things but I think it is more the other way round. The other things come because there is depression.

Sorry if I'm being to critical.

 

 

[OldPilot]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4682842/North-Korean-prisoner-born-in-concentration-camp-escapes.html

News

North Korean prisoner born in concentration camp escapes after 23 years
Shin Dong-hyuk escaped from North Korean concentration camp
By FRAN WETZEL
Published: 05th December 2012
26
A NORTH Korean prisoner who was born in a concentration camp has escaped after 23 years.

Shin Dong-hyuk grew up in Camp 14, a brutal political prison believed to exist in the communist state.

He is thought to be the only person to be born and raised in the jail who has ever managed to flee and survive.

Now 30, he tells US TV reporter Anderson Cooper about the camp where 15,000 people are believed to be held — forced to live and work in a bleak collection of house, factories, fields and mines that are surrounded by electric fences.

Shin reveals how he did not know there was a world outside these confines. He said: “I just thought that those people who carry guns were born to carry guns and prisoners like me were born as prisoners.”

Shin recalled how his mother and father were kept separate inside the camp and that he never felt they were a family.

He said: “You wear what you’re given, you eat what you’re given, and you only do what you’re told to do.

“So there is nothing that the parents can do for you and there’s nothing that the children can do for their parents.”

Shin revealed that fellow prisoners were executed for “offences” such as hoarding a few kernels of corn and that the campmates were starved to make them repent.

He also revealed how prisoners were kept like animals. He admitted that while the executions were frightening he saw them as a break from the monotony of labour and starvation.

After escaping, he says he had to learn to feel, adding: “When I was in the camp I don’t remember crying so much. Even when my mother and my brother were executed, I didn’t shed too many tears.

“But now, for example, when I see videos of the Holocaust it moves me to tears. I think I’m still evolving – from an animal to a human.”

Shin still bears the physical scars from his ordeal — being tortured aged just 13 after his mother and brother were accused of trying to escape.

He had the top of a finger chopped off for accidentally breaking a machine in a factory.

His life began to change when he met Park while working in the textile factory, Park was a new prisoner who had seen the outside world – and he began telling shin about life beyond the fence.

In January 2005 he and Park were gathering firewood in a remote area of the camp near the fence. They decided to run for the fence when Shin fell on his face.

Park got to the fence first but was electrocuted as he pulled it down to escape.

Shin only managed to free himself because he crawled over his friend’s back.

He stole and bribed his way into China and went to Shanghai where he sneaked into the South Korean embassy where he was granted asylum.

I heard this story on the radio this weekend and it really struck me how much of who we are is what we learn growing up.

He did not know right from wrong.

Turned his mother in to the guards to get some extra food.
Then she was shot.

He is only now, starting to understand about family and have remorse.

[alwayshope]

This is an amazing story.  How incredibly sad.  Gripped my heart to hear him speak of evolving from an animal to a human.  Thanks for sharing OP.

[hobo1]

Thanks OP for sharing.  In the 'civilized' world, we frequently run across families who live and believe in values very different than our own.  Their kids know nothing else.

Love amongst other things are learned.  It shouldn't be a surprise that certain people show love differently than others.  Some believe that extreme conflict is love, whereas others extreme control, if these items are missing from a relationship, they may feel unloved... and look to escape.  Perhaps some of the MLCers are this way.

[cherryblossom]

Thanks for sharing this OP.

It's unbelievable that people are living their lives in captivity like that and to not know anything different - Shin though this was normal.... 

What some humans do to others is just awful

It really does make me feel grateful for the freedom I have and the life I live...



new thread: http://mlcforum.theherosspouse.com/index.php?topic=1769.0