Depression and Self-Esteem in the Second Half of Life
Depression and self-esteem are closely linked, and this is often profoundly true in the second half of life.
In this post, we look at situational issues related to depression and self-esteem that arise in the second half of life. We’ll also be looking at the very important connection between these issues and the whole fundamental question of self-acceptance and self-compassion.
How Depression and Self-Esteem are Linked
Situational depression is frequently linked to issues of self-esteem. According to Australian clinical psychologist and self-esteem specialist Dr. Lars Madsen, self-esteem is a key factor in the creation and maintenance of depression.
Having low self-esteem is clearly connected to experiencing depression, and, on the other hand, depression itself can contribute to low self-esteem. However, with situational depression, low self-esteem is often a precursor to the depression. It can often be that particular situations that emerge and cause difficulty in peoples’ lives result in diminished self-esteem, and a lowered sense of the value of self. This is particularly true for many issues that emerge in the second half of life.
How Depression and Self-Esteem Come Up for Us in the Second Half of Life
The experiences that arise during the mid-life transition, and during later stages in life often bring to the fore the connection between depression and self esteem. Often, the changes that occur in later life can have a sizable impact on how the individual views him- or herself. These can include changes in:
- Working life. The individual may find that role changes at work leave him or her feeling that a role or persona on which she or he relied for self-esteem has changed or disappeared.
- Family of origin. The death, serious illness or possible martial breakup of parents can lead the individual to experience a loss of secure attachment, which can result in a loss of self-esteem.
- Health. The individual may undergo changes in health that dramatically change their activities and sense fo well-being. This can result in a much reduced sense of efficacy and empowerment, and thus lost self-esteem.
- Marriage. Divorce, separation or serious illness or death of a spouse can also profoundly affect one’s sense of self-esteem and identity.
Such changes can make us look at our lives very differently — so much so that they can lead us to abandon previously deeply held images or concepts of ourselves. It may well be that such events can lead to our losing a sense of identity, which can result in loss of self-esteem, and lead us into depression..
Toward Genuine Self-Compassion
In Jungian terms, a shadow problem can result from any of these sources of lost self-esteem. We can be suddenly confronted with a sense of lost identity, and may have to go through the process of accepting the change in our lives.
Coming to terms with such a change entails developing a strong sense of self-acceptance and self-compassion. It is only when we begin to accept ourselves for who we are in a genuinely kind way that we can begin to search for a new sense of meaning and purpose, which will very likely be associated with a renewed and expanded sense of self.
The Emergent Self
In /a-midlife-transition, when confronting issues of depression and self-esteem, a key concern is to discern what is seeking to emerge in the individual’s life. In confronting life challenges and life transitions that fundamentally touch our identity, it will likely be that a key part of the journey is extending self-acceptance and self-compassion to the parts of ourselves that have been neglected, pushed aside or never acknowledged.
Jungians acknowledge a kind and type of depression in which the individual’s vitality disappears from conscious life and goes into the unconscious. If it can be encouraged to re-surface in situations where clients suffer from low self-esteem, and to manifest in ways that embody the individual’s yearning for meaning and life, the process can lead to fundamental self-renewal.
Brian Collinson, Registered Psychotherapist & Jungian Psychoanalyst
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