Existential Crisis: When Life Loses Its Meaning

An existential crisis is a state of profound doubt and unease about the meaning of one's own life, personal purpose, and one's place in the world. It is not a clinical diagnosis listed in the DSM-5, but it can generate suffering as intense as any anxiety or depressive disorder. Philosophers such as Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jean-Paul Sartre addressed it from existentialist philosophy; psychiatrists like Viktor Frankl and psychologists like Irvin Yalom brought it into the clinical realm. Frankl, a survivor of four Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz, developed logotherapy — the "therapy of meaning" — from a premise as simple as it is powerful: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." His 1946 book Man's Search for Meaning remains one of the most influential works in psychology, with over 16 million copies sold worldwide.

What Triggers an Existential Crisis?

Important note: this article is for educational purposes. If you are experiencing suicidal or self-harm thoughts, please reach out immediately: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the US), Samaritans (116 123 in the UK), or your local emergency services (112/911). An existential crisis can be a doorway to growth, but if it comes with intense hopelessness, you need urgent professional help.

What Did Viktor Frankl Say About the Meaning of Life?

Frankl observed that, in the concentration camps, those who survived were not necessarily the physically strongest, but those who maintained a sense of meaning: a child to return to, a work to finish, an idea to share. From that observation, logotherapy was born, based on three principles:

1. The will to meaning: the primary human motivation is not pleasure (Freud) or power (Adler), but finding meaning in existence.
2. Meaning is personal and non-transferable: no one can tell you what your meaning is. Each person must discover it for themselves.
3. Suffering can have meaning: not all suffering is avoidable, but we can always choose the attitude with which we face it.

Frankl identified three pathways to finding meaning:

• Creative values: what we give to the world (work, art, relationships).
• Experiential values: what we receive from the world (love, beauty, nature).
• Attitudinal values: the stance we adopt toward unavoidable suffering.

How to Distinguish an Existential Crisis from Depression

The line between the two can be blurred:

• Existential crisis: the person questions meaning but retains the capacity to enjoy some things. There is restlessness, but also active searching.
• Clinical depression: the person loses the capacity to feel pleasure (anhedonia), experiences persistent fatigue, changes in appetite and sleep, and may have thoughts of death or suicide.

An existential crisis can lead to depression if not addressed. And depression can manifest as an existential crisis. Therefore, if the loss of meaning is accompanied by the above symptoms for more than two weeks, it is essential to consult a mental health professional. Research published in The British Journal of Psychiatry (2023) suggests that existential distress, when untreated, significantly increases the risk of developing major depressive disorder.

What Does Existential Psychology Offer?

Irvin Yalom, one of the most influential existential psychotherapists, identifies four ultimate concerns that every human being faces:

1. Death: awareness of one's own finitude.
2. Freedom: the responsibility of creating our own life without a predefined script.
3. Existential isolation: the certainty that, ultimately, we are born and die alone.
4. Meaninglessness: the absence of an inherent purpose in the universe.

Yalom proposes that existential therapy does not consist of eliminating anxiety about these realities, but of learning to live fully despite them. "Although the objective situation of human existence is not altered, our relationship to it can change."

What Strategies Help Navigate an Existential Crisis?

• Allow the question: do not flee the void. An existential crisis is uncomfortable but fertile. As Rilke wrote: "Be patient with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves."
• Write: keeping an existential journal helps give shape to inner chaos. Questions like "What truly matters to me?" or "What would I do if I had one year to live?" can be revealing.
• Connect with others: isolation amplifies the crisis. Sharing your doubts with someone you trust — a partner, a friend, a therapist — can ease the burden.
• Seek experiences of transcendence: contact with nature, art, music, meditation, volunteering. Frankl would call these "experiential values."
• Review your values: often, the crisis arises because we are living according to others' values (parents, society, culture) rather than our own.

Can LetsShine.app Accompany You Through an Existential Crisis?

LetsShine.app can be a reflective space to explore your emotions, your patterns, and your values in the context of your relationships. But a deep existential crisis needs accompaniment that goes beyond any digital tool. If you feel that life has lost meaning, seek a therapist trained in existential or humanistic approaches. AI can help you think, but meaning is found in lived experience, not on a screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal to have an existential crisis? Completely. It is part of human development. Many people experience one around their 30s, 40s, or 50s, and also after significant life events. It is not an illness; it is a signal that you are thinking deeply about your life.

Can an existential crisis be positive? Yes. Many existential psychologists consider it an opportunity for growth. Kazimierz Dabrowski called it "positive disintegration": a painful but necessary process for rebuilding on more authentic values.

How long does an existential crisis last? It varies enormously. It can last weeks, months, or, if unaddressed, years. Seeking professional and social support usually shortens the process significantly.

Does meditation help with an existential crisis? It can be a double-edged sword. Meditation facilitates self-knowledge, but in people with intense anguish, introspection without guidance can amplify distress. If you meditate and feel worse, seek professional guidance.

Are existential crisis and midlife crisis the same thing? They overlap but are not identical. A midlife crisis has a component of life review (achievements, time remaining) that may include an existential dimension, but an existential crisis can occur at any age.