The dreaded midlife crisis doesn’t strike everyone, but it’s a common enough occurrence that everyone is familiar with the concept. If you are in the middle of one, your concern is finding your way out. There are many theories about what causes this common phenomenon in one’s older adult years. Many cultures, including Japanese and Middle Eastern, don’t seem to suffer from midlife crises. At least part of the issue appears to be influenced by culture. A midlife crisis occurs in middle age and usually affects self-confidence or identity. There may be significant regret over how you’ve lived your life and an intense desire to correct it as soon as possible. Often, a precipitating event causes the sufferer to examine their life from a new perspective. Various trigger events can start the ball rolling and begin a midlife crisis. A midlife crisis is a period of self-reflection, dissatisfaction, and sometimes drastic behavior that can occur during middle adulthood, typically between the ages of 40 and 60, with 45 being the most common age and varying from individual to individual. I was 46 when I had mine. Oh God!