The desire for self-development is a natural survival mechanism, without it humanity would never have reached the modern level. The problem is in the obstacles that lie in wait for this path, one of which can be an existential crisis, evolving from internal contradictions. There is a neurosis, when there is no need to worry about the minimum life needs.
The existential crisis in human life
The desire to justify their existence arises in all, but many explanations turn out to be simple and smooth due to deep religiosity or laid down attitudes of another kind. Existential problems arise at the moment of frustration in the ideals chosen earlier. The person ceases to feel satisfaction from the elevation of status or loses faith in the supernatural value of his life. Another cause of such experiences may be the sense of the inevitability of death.
Existential problems of man
It may seem that such reflections are visited only by the owners of an unlimited amount of free time, the hard working people have no strength left for a neurosis. This is partly true, more often existential experiences are visited by representatives of creative professions, those engaged in manual labor are less prone to self-interest, but they are not fully protected from this.
Prerequisites for neurosis may be:
- loss of a loved one;
- the threat of one's own life;
- application of psychedelics;
- prolonged isolation;
- parting with a loved one or children.
The existential crisis and suicide
In the process of thinking, one encounters a contradiction, generated by a sense of the importance of one's own life and a simultaneous awareness of its uselessness. The inability to find a solution to this situation turns into existential despair, for which there is a loss of interest in one's own future. The aggravation of the crisis can lead to the desire to end its meaningless existence, which is incapable of anybody to benefit. In this case, it is extremely difficult for a person to resolve the situation on his own.
Existential loneliness
There are two types of loneliness: everyday and existential. The first is characterized by a sense of isolation from society, often associated with fear of being rejected or afraid of letting someone get too close. And the second type is more deep, not relying only on the actual absence of people nearby. Here the problem lies in the destruction of the inner peace that every person has.
The consequence of this is an existential frustration, determined by the loss of the desire to determine at least some meaning. A person feels apathy, he is all bored, but the condition is not pathological in nature. That is, the existential crisis at this stage is characterized by general depression, a person feels the senselessness of being, he does not want to learn something new and develop, but there is also no desire to harm himself.
Existential fear
Experience of this type is usually allocated to a separate group, because they do not relate to a particular event, but are intertwined with the inner world of a person . Existential anxiety to varying degrees occurs in all, but is not always clearly felt because of a powerful block of the subconscious. This depth and complexity of giving the fears of clear boundaries make it impossible to completely eliminate them, really only reduce the severity. All existential anxieties are divided into 4 main groups:
- fear of time - a person is afraid of getting old, becoming helpless, dying, experiencing because of the uncertain future;
- fear of space - fear of darkness , depth, open space, change, the desire to clearly regulate the way of life and follow it only;
- fear of life - experiences with respect to mystery, mystery and the simultaneous meaninglessness of being;
- fear of oneself is a fear of losing one's mind or losing control, a lack of understanding of one's own aspirations or actions.
Existential Wine
This is the most positive moment of thinking about one's own destiny, as with the right approach it can bring up the desire to move on, develop not only professional skills, but also ways of emotional communication with the world. Helps in the release of the individual to a new level. Passing existential crisis in life can give three main reasons for the occurrence of guilt:
- incomplete self-realization;
- insufficiently strong ties with relatives and important people;
- loss of connection with the Absolute.
How to deal with the existential crisis?
In the presence of deep feelings and a sense of the loss of life's core, a person unsuccessfully searches for strengths to solve an existential crisis, the overcoming of which consists of two main stages:
- Recognition . The problem is, it must be solved, and it is possible, every person is absolutely free in his choice.
- A new meaning . The crisis is the beginning of a new stage, the old reasons for living no longer fit, the time to find new ones. The meaning can be found in obtaining the maximum of pleasure from life, and in bringing benefit to humanity.
Psychotherapists note the possibility of reducing the severity of experiences through conversations with loved ones. If the measures are not taken, the existential neurosis develops against the background of the experiences, leading to disruption of the internal organs. With a neurosis, only an expert who will use complex therapy (psychocorrection and medicine) will be able to cope.