LOS ANGELES - Sept. 4, 2020 - Existential crisis is moments when people question whether or not their lives truly have value, meaning, or importance, and are generally negatively affected by mental contemplation. It can be very emotionally painful, but certainly not always, and usually not tied to any particular negative thoughts on purpose for life. Usually, the people who experience this kind of anxiety feel that there is a need to look into these questions, and that they could help shape their lives to be more meaningful.
How does one interpret a person who has an existential crisis? The first thing that can be done is for the individual to seek help from a professional that can help them see their life in a new perspective. This will not make the situation go away, but will help them see it from a different perspective. The individual will also need to look at themselves objectively, to make sure that there really is nothing about their life that could be called meaningless.
There are many different types of existential crisis, all of which have similar elements. There may be a sense that they have failed in some way to live up to a particular purpose for living in their life. Perhaps a lack of a certain quality or ability could be the cause of their feelings of failure. Other times, the individual could be experiencing a negative emotional reaction, such as loneliness, pain, anger, fear, or stress.
If the individual is able to understand how their life can affect their quality of life, then they should be able to see how the issues they are having to affect the people around them. For example, if the issue is that their significant other does not care about them, then they should see how this affects their relationship with their parents and siblings. This means that they should be able to see how their life is contributing to the negative interactions of the others around them. These interactions have the potential to affect all the individuals in the group, not just the ones who are being affected directly.
A psychological disorder such as an existential crisis is a great opportunity to examine one's own behaviors, in hopes of helping change their situation. Many times, the person who has this condition can have the symptoms of depression, but they will also have some symptoms of anxiety, panic, and/or agoraphobia. There are times when the person will not even realize that they have these symptoms, so treatment will often be very much focused on those symptoms. It is important to seek help because, although a person who has the disorder will be experiencing a sense of loss or a loss of purpose, it will also be the case that they are dealing with some form of anxiety or depression.
