scalating a gap between his wife and himself. Sometimes, middle aged men, also, become unfaithful to their wives and chase after younger women. So, while the wife feels valued less, the husband is often valued more. This increases the wife's sense of depression.
In addition, a woman who has been overly dependent on her children experiences an "empty nest syndrome" after the children grow up and leave home. That is, it is difficult for her to value herself as a whole being without the crutch of being responsible for her children. Middle age increases her difficulties, even causing a crisis, because she experiences a sense of frustration that time has passed her by. It is sort of early retirement with which she is unprepared to cope.
In short, the middle years are a time of identity crisis for women whose early years are bound up with married life. As the glamour of youth fades, the traditional woman does not know what to do with herself. She lacks meaningful work, which is experienced as an intolerable loss. She feels deprived and unimportant. This loss makes her feel as if she no longer has purpose in her life. Bitterness, isolation, insecurity, and frustration boiling down to "self-hate" (Benson, 1975, p. 121) increase and result in a state of depression.
According to recent opinions expressed by women themselves, "low self-esteem" is the most difficult problem faced by the majority of women in their middle years. Low self-esteem is experienced as feelings of inadequacy, lack of confidence and worthlessness. A woman may be scared to speak to a group of peers. She may see herself as ugly and unattractive. She may feel herself becoming a failure as a wife and mother. She may feel unloved and lonely. She may experience intense self-pity. All of these feelin
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