Crisis periods in a person's life. Childhood - problems and guidelines

The content of the article:

Crisis periods in life - this is normal, physiological process, which is due to the change life values and installations. These mandatory stages of personality development occur for most people, but they occur differently for everyone. If a person is ready to change and develop, then there should be no problems with the psychological state, but often crises entail the development of various phobias, complexes, and depression. Often people drive themselves into a state from which only a psychologist can help them get out.

The concept and theses of a crisis period in a person’s life

There is always a crisis important period human life associated with making a fateful decision. Translated from Greek language means "dividing the roads", so it is state of mind also called “twist of fate.”

Any internal crisis period develops against the background of an already familiar way of life, when a person gets used to a certain way of life, regularity and comfortable conditions. But at one moment a breakdown occurs, and the unstable psychological condition deprives him of support, of confidence that his life is really what he needs. A person has new needs.

During these periods, people come into conflict with the world around them; they are dissatisfied with everything that surrounds them. But in fact, according to psychologists, the essence of the crisis lies in internal conflict and a person’s inability to accept reality, the desire to make it ideal. Against this background, a protest arises, and then the search for solutions begins. It is important that they are found, and the person directs all the accumulated energy to their implementation.

The concept of a crisis period includes the following main theses:

Any crisis is a psychologically difficult period that must be accepted and survived.
This period cannot in any way be considered a dead end. These accumulated contradictions come into conflict with your inner “I”.
There are always ways out of a crisis period in life, which lie in action, the realization of needs and desires.
The crisis experienced contributes to the formation of character and the development of strong volitional qualities.
After a difficult stage, a person gains confidence and a new comfortable model of behavior appears.

Turning points can occur various reasons associated with personal life, work or health. These are individual situations, but there are a number of so-called “obligatory age-related crises” that all people go through, and a person cannot influence their onset.

The main causes of crisis periods of age

The emergence of a crisis in at different ages- a pattern that indicates the development of personality. In addition to physiological aspects, there are several other important reasons for the appearance of such periods.

What leads to a crisis:

Injury. This may be a trauma that a child experiences during birth, or a trauma suffered by a person in early childhood. These factors influence the course of the crisis and its duration.
Personality formation and character formation. This happens when a person already has a certain set of information about the world around him and begins to fully use the acquired knowledge: manipulate, demand, study the boundaries of what is permitted.
Influence of others. Parents, friends, spouse, acquaintances and colleagues play an important role in starting a crisis. Sometimes the impetus can be a thrown phrase, a quarrel or a certain negative situation. These circumstances make us think about life priorities, can lead to an analysis of achievements, dissatisfaction and, as a consequence, a crisis.
The pursuit of excellence. A person develops throughout his life, but there are periods when he is not happy with his appearance, level wages or the condition of the home. This also becomes the reason for the beginning of a crisis period. People who set high standards for themselves are especially susceptible to this.
A sharp change in your usual lifestyle. This could be moving to a new job, moving to another city or to a new apartment. Against this background, new needs and desires may appear, the individual will develop reflections and internal experiences that will result in a crisis.

Please note that during a crisis a person always faces a choice, and the choice he makes determines how successful his life will be in the future.

The main signs of a crisis period in life

A person who is experiencing a turning point in life can be easily identified from the crowd by visual symptoms - a wandering gaze, a drooping appearance. There are also a number of internal signs that characterize this condition:

Blank look. It seems as if the person is constantly thinking about something of his own. Often people experiencing a crisis are so immersed in themselves that they do not even respond when the interlocutor addresses them.
. A person may be completely calm at first glance and then suddenly begin to cry or laugh wildly at a banal joke. It all depends on the age of the individual. For example, teenagers find it difficult to control their negative emotions, and people of mature age already know how to control themselves.
Refusal of food and sleep. Sometimes consciously, and sometimes because nervous tension the person cannot eat and sleep normally.
Pessimistic or overly optimistic attitude about the future. People during these periods are characterized by excessive emotionality: they have plans and desires, but some people become depressed because they cannot realize them, while others begin to create the effect of hectic activity. These two options are not the norm in ordinary life and are considered a clear sign that a person is experiencing internal tension.

Any age-related crisis should not be suppressed by the person himself or by parents when it comes to turning points in children. Only living through this situation and coming out of it with new behavior patterns will allow you to avoid psychological disorders.

Characteristics of crisis periods of different years of life

At each stage of growing up and changing a person’s inner world, a certain age crisis awaits. In childhood, these conditions pass unnoticed by the child; here it is very important role parental behavior plays a role. For the first time, a person consciously faces a crisis in adolescence. This is a very important period when, on the one hand, you need to give the child the opportunity to make decisions independently, and on the other hand, protect him from negative consequences these decisions. IN mature age There is also a place for crises, mainly they occur due to the inability to accept reality and the thirst for new experiences.

Children's crisis periods in life

Life little man from the first minutes of existence it begins with stress. The so-called crisis of the newborn is the first turning point when he enters into the fight for his life and wins, taking his first breath.

The following childhood crises appear at different stages of baby development:

In the first year of life. The reason is the first conscious distance from the very loved one- mothers. The child begins to walk, expanding his horizons. And also the baby learns to speak and can already communicate with native fragments of words. This leads to emotional excitement, an urgent need to do everything on your own: find out what the object is, touch it and even try it. At this time, it is better for parents to simply watch their child, without interfering with his exploration of the world, eliminating obvious dangerous objects from his reach.
In the third year. The most emotionally expressed childhood crisis, which is characterized by several symptoms: negative reaction, associated with the attitude of one person to another, stubbornness, the desire for the decisions of the little ones to be taken into account, a protest against domestic order, the desire for emancipation from adults. In fact, at this time the child wants to do everything himself, breaks ties with adults, and begins the period of distinguishing his own “I”. At this time, it is very important to instill in the baby a love for the world around him, to show him that this world loves him. Only children with such confidence grow up to be optimists who are not afraid to make decisions and take responsibility for their lives.
In the seventh year. This is a “school crisis”, which is characterized by the acquisition of new knowledge, the beginning thought process, when the baby can already think about and analyze his actions. During this period, children experience a symptom of “bitter candy”: they withdraw into themselves, pretend that nothing bothers them, but they themselves may suffer. They are emotionally distressed a lot of stress, because their life changes radically after going to school, they begin to form social connections. The support of parents and their maximum participation in the life of a first-grader is very important here.

Crisis periods of a person’s life in youth

The transition to adulthood is also marked by several periods of crisis. At this time, yesterday’s child must already make serious decisions, be responsible for his actions, and be able to manage finances. Many children separate from their parents for the first time when they go away to study. This severe stress, which will either develop the will of the child, or will cause a number of irresponsible actions.

What crisis age periods distinguished in youth:

In adolescence 12-16 years old. This age is also called “transitional” and “difficult”. At this time, the child’s body changes, puberty and interest in the opposite sex appears. WITH psychological point from the perspective of an adult child evaluates himself through the prism of other people’s perceptions. The main thing for him is what a girlfriend or friend said about him, his dress or bag. It is very important not to label the child, not to focus on his shortcomings, because adult life it will all turn into complexes. The child should be given confidence that he has many positive qualities and virtues - this is how he will develop them.
Identity crisis. It is observed at the age of 18-22, when a person understands that youthful maximalism does not always work and everything cannot be divided only into “white” and “black”. At this time, many opportunities are opening up for young people, and choosing one right option is difficult. Therefore, people often make mistakes, following not their dreams, but what was imposed by their parents, teachers, and friends. During this period, it is important to listen to yourself and make a choice in favor of your desires, and be able to defend them. You also need to accept and love yourself with all your shortcomings.

Crisis periods of personality development in adulthood

After 30 years, when a person has already chosen a course of movement in life, priorities and goals have been determined, he may be disturbed by a feeling of dissatisfaction, and may be overcome by thoughts from the series “how could my life have turned out if…”. This is the first bell that the crisis periods of adulthood are upon us.

Let's consider the features of crisis periods in adulthood:

Ages 32-37. A person may come into conflict with himself. Seeing his mistakes, he can no longer, as in his youth, easily agree with them and accept the fact of their existence. On the contrary, he begins an internal struggle, proving to himself that there can be no mistakes, and all his actions were correct. There are two ways out of this crisis: accept mistakes, adjust the plan for the future and receive an influx of energy for its implementation, or cling to past experience and illusory ideals, remaining in place. Last option can last for several years and will make a person extremely unhappy.
Ages 37-45. This is the most emotionally difficult period of life, when both men and women tend to break established ties for the sake of the desire to move on, develop and get what they want. Family, work, everyday life - all this may seem “ extra load", which pulls you to the bottom. A person comes to a clear understanding that there is only one life and there is no desire to waste it on a boring existence. The way out is visible in interrupting burdensome connections, redistributing responsibilities, changing the scope of activity in order to get more free time to realize one’s own goals.
After 45 years. This is the time of second youth, when both men and women stop measuring their age by the years they have lived, but begin to feel their internal potential for future years. During this period, due to hormonal changes, women become like teenagers - their mood often changes, they get offended for any reason. Men develop the male instinct, they again strive to become conquerors, to fight for what is theirs. As psychologists say, at this age you can either make a bland marital relationship more intense, or find a new partner suitable in temperament.
After 55 years. During this period, there is a protracted crisis, which involves accepting several truths: your body has changed, you will have to retire, death is inevitable. Psychologists believe that the worst thing for a person at this time is to be left alone, without the need to take care of someone or go to a favorite job. However, one cannot lose heart; the main undeniable advantage of this period is that a person gets a lot of free time, which he has dreamed of throughout his life. Now is the time to take advantage of it, because adulthood is not a disease, but a moment when you can allow yourself to travel and relax. It is also advisable to find a hobby after retirement to fill a lot of time. It is important that the concept of “old age” does not become synonymous with passivity. This is a period to enjoy the results of your life, time that you can devote only to yourself.

Transitional stages in life should be perceived calmly, smoothly moving from one stage of crisis to another, understanding that it will not be possible to jump over several in one fell swoop. It is important to emerge from each crisis internally enriched, with a new incentive for further achievements.

How to survive crisis periods in life

Any crisis is stress for a person, which can cause deterioration in well-being and performance. To prevent this from happening, you must follow the rules that will help you survive crisis periods of personality development:

Find an incentive to get out of bed. Even during a crisis, every person is surrounded by many small and big joys. The main thing is to find them. This could be your child's laughter while playing, a morning walk with the dog, a cup of their favorite coffee, or a daily run. At first all this will seem small and unimportant to you, but as you perform these rituals, you will understand that it is from such joys that great happiness is built.
Do yoga or Pilates. During difficult moments in life, it is important to learn to relax as much as possible, turning off not only the body, but also the head. These practices will help you cope with this and will also keep your muscles toned.
Give yourself positive emotions . During times of stress, it is very useful to walk in parks, go to exhibitions, and go to the cinema to watch comedy films. Smile, laughter, joy - this is the base that will not give negative thoughts consume you. This also applies to children experiencing a crisis - give them more vivid emotions.
Praise yourself. Do this at every step: you caught the minibus - great, you managed to submit the report on time - that’s also your merit. You gotta boost the feeling self-esteem.
If you want to cry, cry. Holding back emotions is harmful at any age, and especially during a crisis. With tears and screams, the negativity accumulated inside comes out. A person is exhausted, cleansed and opens up to new achievements.
Don't go into yourself. Remember, age crises are natural process, you won’t be able to hide from it or pass by, it’s important to survive it. If you find it difficult, lonely and it seems that you cannot cope with all the thoughts that have fallen on your own, be sure to seek help from a psychologist.

What is a crisis period in a person’s life - look at the video:

IN to a greater extent Lonely people, those who have recently experienced the death of a loved one, or patients with serious diagnoses are susceptible to breakdowns due to a crisis. To prevent depression, their friends and relatives should help these people with their attention and participation.

Psychologists have revealed that a person goes through eight crises throughout his life (in particular, such a theory was once put forward by the famous American scientist Erik Erikson). However, one should not perceive the crisis as something fatal. It’s just that this is a turning point for which it’s worth preparing in advance... So, what crises do we have to go through during our lives and what are the ways out of them?

18-20 years old

Life passes under the motto: “It’s time to sail independently.” This is the time of study and military service. A teenager (and then a young man) strives to distance himself from the family and demonstrate his independence. At the age of 20, when a person has moved away from his family (even if purely psychologically), another question arises: “How to stay in the adult world?” A person understands that he cannot do everything in this world, that his knowledge and strength are not yet enough to cope with all the problems...

What to do?

Do not refuse family support, especially if parents are able to provide it and do it with joy. And learn the philosophy of gradual progress towards the goal. To do this, it is useful to hang it above your desk a piece of paper with the phrase: “A person overestimates what he can do in a year, and underestimates what he can do in ten years” and think about this phrase more often.

30 years

This is a time of reassessment of values. A person sums up the first results and asks himself the question: “What have I achieved in life?” There is a desire to start all over again. Many people are thinking about changing their profession. Single people are becoming married, childless parents have children... We understand that a lot of time is wasted and “everything could have been different,” but you can’t return the past...

What to do?

There is a saying - “the darkest time is usually before the dawn.” There is no need to rush into drastic changes. Success may be just around the corner - just not everyone quantitative changes have still managed to develop into quality ones.

35 years

After 30 years, life becomes more rational and orderly. We are starting to “settle in.” People are buying houses and trying to move up the career ladder. Women reach the peak of their sexuality. Men, on the contrary, understand that in bed they are no longer the same as when they were 18 years old... People show the first significant signs of aging.

What to do?

Realize that stability is not so bad. More precisely, stability is the basis of success. After all, success in any business comes with regularity. And stability, again, allows you to perform certain actions regularly and consolidate your successes. This also provides a powerful resource for solving existing problems: regular exercise will help slow down old age. physical exercise, and regular, measured sex without “marathons” will help maintain sexual tone.

40 years

Reaching the middle life path, people can already see where it ends. Loss of youth, fading of physical strength, worsening chronic diseases - any of these moments can lead to a crisis. At this time, the last chances to get ahead disappear...

What to do?

Take a piece of paper and list everything that you have achieved by this age. Most likely, there will be an impressive list. And there is no need to claim that it consists of platitudes. After all, even if one of us managed to obtain a higher education, we can be proud of this, because only 2% of the country's population has completed higher education. The second step is to identify the so-called “problem area” and start working on it. For example, if a person feels that he has not achieved due recognition, it’s time to start earning it. Moreover, this does not have to be an area related to career and upward mobility. You can try to write and publish a book - you can become a famous writer at the age of 40 (like, for example, Alexey Ivanov)

45 years

A person begins to seriously think about the fact that he is mortal. If not given to daily activities additional meaning and impulse, life will become one of performing trivial duties to maintain existence. This simple truth can cause a real shock... In addition, at this time people are experiencing a wave of divorces. The reasons, as a rule, are the same: the children have grown up, and the spouses understand that they have little to do with each other...

What to do?

Urgently find a new interesting thing that you can get carried away with to such an extent that you don’t get lost in sad thoughts. This could be a half-forgotten hobby from childhood or attending self-improvement groups and personal growth. Good results are obtained by studying some foreign language(just not very exotic).

50 years

The nervous system becomes more stable: a person stops reacting to many of the things that previously caused irritation and anger. People around him value more and more a person who has crossed the 50-year mark: they consider him “experienced”, a sage. He is already a professional in his field, an accomplished family man with experience in raising children, but not yet an “old man” - there are still 10 years until retirement... The crisis at this time is caused mainly by serious problems with health: many are diagnosed with cancer and other serious diseases...

What to do?

There is only one thing - once a year (or better yet, every six months) undergo a mandatory medical examination. If at 30-40 years old this can be neglected, then after 50 - alas, it cannot be. Women must visit a mammologist (to exclude breast diseases), men - a urologist (to prevent prostate cancer).

55 years

Warmth and wisdom come during these years. Friends and loved ones become more important than ever. Those who have lived to age 55 often state that their motto is “don't bother with nonsense.” Some people awaken new ones Creative skills. A crisis arises when people still believe that they are doing nonsense and wasting their time...

What to do?

Realize that in this world any activity can be important. Moreover, if we are talking about some things related to maintaining the life and health of family and friends. Living for others, caring for your garden, getting into the role of a grandmother or grandfather - in this, if you think about it, you can find deep meaning and benefit.

56 years and beyond...

Almost all scientists live to this age and creative people who have achieved fame. Titian painted his most breathtaking paintings at almost 100 years old. Verdi, Strauss, Sibelius and other composers worked until they were 80 years old... The crisis comes when a person who has reached of this age, is overly immersed in his inner world and the people and circumstances around him seem to cease to interest him...

What to do?

Re-read biographies famous people including long-livers. As a rule, they were all happy to share their life experience with younger people. This also happened in the form social activities, and in the form of conversations with the family... By the way, contact with young people plays the role of a kind of “elixir of youth” for an elderly person, and, moreover, it is completely free. So why not use it?

I wish you health and longevity!

If a conflict, no matter how acute or deep it may be, is closely related to a certain problem or area of human life, then the concept of crisis is more global. In psychology, the concept of crisis refers primarily to inner world individual. Whatever life situations the crisis is caused by, it affects much more fundamental, vital values and needs of a person.

Normative age-related psychological crises

The normative age crisis is understood as a critical period of individual psychological development upon transition to the next period age development, characterized by qualitative psychological transformations in the spheres of consciousness, activity, social interaction personality.

Based this definition, one can understand that the normative age crisis is allegorically presented in the form of a so-called test, an exam that is very important to pass so that the individual can gain access to a completely new period of his development, which is associated with age, not only biological, but also psychological.

The periodization of normative age crises is not in last resort is associated with the division of life into five stages of development of human subjectivity, each of which contains both the period of formation of eventfulness and the period of formation of originality. And if the first named period means the crisis of birth and the stage of acceptance, then the second is the crisis of development and the stage of development.

The first stage is revival. It is characterized by “becoming human body in the unity of its sensory, motor, communicative functional organs.” Upon entering this stage, as a rule, there is a “birth crisis”, when the baby becomes an individual being and for this reason experiences significant difficulties in making a qualitative change in his being. After the crisis is resolved (it ends in the third week of life), the child enters the newborn stage, which also ends with a certain crisis at the age of 3.5-7 months, characterized mainly by the emergence of a need for communication and relationships between the newborn and the adult, in other words, the child becomes the recipient of direct emotional communication with an adult. After the neonatal crisis comes the stage of infancy, which ends with the stage of revival.

The second stage in the development of human subjectivity is animation, that is, “the development of one’s own means of regulating behavior: emotions, will and abilities.” Entry into this stage begins with a crisis of infancy, the cause of which is that the child finds himself in the same four-dimensional dynamic space as an adult, which causes the appearance of “I myself” - a companion phenomenon of subjectivity, which begins to take shape by 11-18 months . Following the crisis of infancy comes early childhood, which ends with a crisis at 2.5-3.5 years, the first sign of which is negativity that the child had not previously shown. The cause of this crisis is the contradiction within the child between the need to act on his own and the need to meet the demands of adults. This is the first crisis that takes place entirely within the child's subjectivity. If this crisis is not resolved, and most often the main tool in resolving it is a game in which the child receives a role that he can project onto adults, then the child runs the risk of becoming autistic. After overcoming this crisis, the period of childhood begins.

From the childhood crisis (5.5-7.5 years), the third stage of subjectivity comes into play - personalization, that is, “design personal way being, a free and responsible attitude towards oneself and towards other people.” At the same age, the spontaneity and naivety characteristic of children is lost. Children are deprived of situational reactions, and their behavior becomes much more independent of environmental influences, much more conscious and voluntary. At the same time, the formation of self-esteem and the need for respect from society, mainly represented by close relatives, occurs. The main point of the crisis is the formation of the child’s self-awareness.

After the crisis comes the time of adolescence, the crisis of which begins at the age of 11-14 years. Its most typical feature is contradictory behavior. The adolescent’s self-awareness produces a new need: the need to gain individuality, to possess properties that are different from those around him. In general, the essence of the development crisis consists of contradictions within the individual, within his idea of himself, in his self-awareness. After overcoming it, the individual enters adolescence, at which the third stage of subjectivity ends.

The next stage is the stage of individualization, namely “the acquisition of a unique identity, authorship in creative activity and own life" This crisis comes in the period after graduation, when you need to choose the vector of your future profession and, in fact, life, that is, this is a crisis of self-determination. As a result of the crisis of adolescence, youth is “born,” whose crisis usually occurs around the age of 27. This crisis is formed in connection with the realization that youth as such has passed and a reflexive assessment of the past years is necessary. In connection with this summing up, a feeling of some stagnation and a need for tangible changes along with the fear of them are often formed. This in-depth analysis of one’s personality, as well as its subsequent revision, serve as prerequisites for the subsequent reassessment of values necessary for realizing one’s true place in life. The result of the crisis is the transition to adulthood, which completes the 4th stage of subjectivity.

The fifth stage of subjectivity - universalization - is nothing more than ascension. Entry into it begins with the crisis of adulthood (39-45 years old) or the so-called “midlife crisis.” It is connected with the fact that the individual’s physical strength decreases, and the continuation active life past years becomes very difficult.

All this gives another impetus to the revaluation of old values and to the acquisition of new values, which become the flagship for subsequent spiritual explorations that prevail in the period of maturity following the crisis of adulthood, the crisis of which approaches at the age of 55. Biologically, this crisis is determined by pre-retirement age, a significant decrease in physical and intellectual abilities and awareness of this. The values acquired during the crisis of adulthood are no longer challenged, but are actively and fully assimilated precisely at this age. This leads to a qualitatively new revaluation of the individual, not only professionally, as was the case before, but in general. At this age, the spiritual finally receives a status immeasurably higher than the physical. Another sign of age is accepting the thought of death as a matter of course. After this crisis comes old age, ending with death, that is, the end physical life individual.