Free Essay: Physical and Intellectual Changes in Middle Adulthood

A significant number of people first become aware of the changes (that mark the aging process) happening in their bodies during middle adulthood. For instance, strength, weight, and height are the benchmarks of change. The maximum height is attained during the 20s and remains constant until at 55 years, after which bones lose density (Debi et al., 2019). Men lose 1 inch while women lose 2 inches in height (Debi et al., 2019). Both females and males continue to gain weight during middle adulthood and their strength reduces gradually so that by the time they are 60 years old they will have lost approximately 10% of their strength (Debi et al., 2019). Additionally, the senses of sight and sound begin to decline at the age of 40 years. Since reaction time increases due to the loss of body muscles, people should exercise regularly to slow down this loss.

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Cross-sectional studies show that older people score less than younger people when subjected to traditional IQ tests. The level of intelligence reaches a peak at the age of 18 and remains steady in the mid-20s, where it starts to decrease until death (Rexford, 2019). According to longitudinal studies, fluid intelligence (the ability to cope with new issues and circumstances) declines with age. On the other hand, crystallized intelligence (the store of accumulated strategies, information, and skills) increases as one ages. As such, someone in his middle adulthood is likely to have less ability to cope with a new problem but have a rich source of skills.

Male Climacteric and Mid-Life Crisis

The changes experienced by men in their middle adulthood are referred to as male climacteric and relate to their reproductive system. One of the most common changes that occur during this period is the enlargement of the prostate gland. By the time men reach the age of 40, 10% of them already have enlarged prostates, while 50% of men have enlarged prostate by the age of 80 (Debi et al., 2019). Besides, most of the men also experience erectile dysfunction as they age. Erectile dysfunction may be a result of psychological problems, side effects of some medication, and other underlying medical conditions. Nevertheless, men are still able to produce sperms in their middle adulthood and can therefore reproduce.

A mid-life crisis can be described as a period during which a person experiences self-doubt. Various experiences like changes in family composition and mid-life transition are known to trigger the mid-life crisis, all of which Brenda and her spouse are encountering. For instance, Brenda’s spouse was not comfortable with his daughter moving in with her children. This transition period is quite difficult it is when a person begins to accept the end of their youth and start of their aging process.

Advice to Brenda

Brenda should know that there is nothing she can do or say that will make her husband be the loving partner he was before. However, there are a couple of this she can do to maintain her equilibrium and live life to the fullest despite their crisis (Rexford, 2019). Firstly, Brenda should make changes that can make her a better person like solving her pending issues. Brenda should also find things that motivate her in life such as a vacation she has always wanted to take for years or a hobby like a gym. The ability to accept change will enable Brenda to move forward with her life but fighting the changes that emerged from her husband’s midlife crisis will only make her get stuck (Rexford, 2019). More importantly, Brenda should be patient with herself as well as her husband since they are going through physical and psychological changes.

Brenda needs to seek assistance from facilities in her local community. Seeking professional help will be important because therapy can turn their midlife crisis into an opportunity for growth and also give advice on how to cope with their current situation. Therefore, Brenda can visit counseling facilities near her residence such as

References

Debi, R., Lakin, R., & Spector, S. (2019). Midlife crisis or midlife gains: 2 years of highintensity exercise is highly beneficial for the middleaged heart. The Journal of physiology, 597(7), 1787-1788. Retrieved June 03, 2020, from

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rob_Lakin/publication/330941730_Mid-life_crisis_or_mid-life_gains_2_years_of_high-intensity_exercise_is_highly_beneficial_for_the_middle-aged_heart/links/5c8a84eb45851564fade3ad7/Mid-life-crisis-or-mid-life-gains-2-years-of-high-intensity-exercise-is-highly-beneficial-for-the-middle-aged-heart.pdf

Rexford, J. (2019). Never waste a mid-life crisis: change for the better. ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review, 49(5), 12-13.

https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3371934.3371939