Ever heard of the word “thrisis”? I hadn’t until the other day, when a wine-fueled googling expedition led me down a rabbit hole of articles about “surviving your thrisis.” It sounded like some strange medical condition, something in between thrush (yikes!) and a thyroid issue. But the word “thrisis” actually refers to the mental and psychological “crisis” that one experiences during their thirties, not unlike a mid-life crisis.

I’m not sure where the term began or who exactly coined it, but it’s been popping up in articles and blogs. While everyone seems to have some different version of it, the common themes and complaints of a “thrisis” seem to be:

• “Now that I’m 34, my life doesn’t match up with how I thought it would be.”
• “I’m a corporate professional and I’ve reached a high-level in my company and have a corresponding salary, but how come I don’t feel fulfilled?”
• Basic feeling of being underwhelmed with your life
• Feeling less “black and white” about life and choices, and more “grey”

There’s even a book about having a “thrisis” – it’s called “30-Something and Over It” by Kasey Edwards.

In her book, Edwards talks about how the experience of having a “thrisis” can help you “take stock” of your life so you can avoid having regrets down the road. She writes, “It’s about looking ahead, thinking, I don’t want the next 30 years to be like this.”

I’ve definitely thought about this in terms of my own life, and yes, I do have occasional freak outs about feeling “behind” as a thirty-something. I don’t have a solid set of career accomplishments, I’m not married, and I don’t have children. But since I’m still climbing the ladder towards my career as a screenwriter and TV writer, the common ‘thrisis’ feeling of reaching a high level and not finding fulfillment isn’t resonant for me.

How about you? Have you had a “thrisis”?