Comments on: Are you scared of aging?

By: Obagi Blue

Obagi Blue — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:34:40 +0000

I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you….

By: amyhop

amyhop — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:41:20 +0000

haha thanks Jennifer- I actually work in an industry where I see women (and men) everyday who are so afraid of having a line or a wrinkle that they are constantly searching for that new found fountain of youth. What is so wrong with growing old and aging gracefully? We have almost lost our ability as a society to do this because so many are afraid of looking old.

By: Jennifer B Baxt, LMFT, LMHC

Jennifer B Baxt, LMFT, LMHC — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:16:43 +0000

Couldn’t agree more Maddie, seems like we live in a society that wants us to be scared so we will buy more products to prevent aging. Thxs for the interest.

By: maddie

maddie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:08:07 +0000

There is a big difference for me between knowing the possibilities that aging brings and being consumed by the fear of all of these things coming to light. We just all have to do waht we can to keep our minds sharp and our bodies fit so that many of these worries will not overwhelm us. Face it- we are all growing older every day and there is nothing we can do to stop that process. It is a part of life!

By: Jennifer B Baxt, LMFT, LMHC

Jennifer B Baxt, LMFT, LMHC — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 22:38:47 +0000

Having a fear and actually having a reason to be scared are different in my opinion. I have a lot of cancer in my family, especially breast cancer. This is a reality for me, not just a fear and I try to be cautious of this and work towards being cautious of my family history of illness. I believe that being aware is the first step of facing your fears.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:23:40 +0000

My grandfather died after years of suffering with Alzheimer’s and I definitely have a fear that this will be me one day. I try not to think about it but I must admit it does hit me like a tom of bricks some days and I just do not know what I would do if this happened to me or another family member.

By: gamecock96

gamecock96 — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:45:18 +0000

This was quite an interesting articcle though I guess I must not have this fear because I have never really viewed aging this way. I like to look at things in a positive light, like the laugh lines on my face show just how many chances I have had to enjoy life over the years. So I just don’t think this fear applies to me and I think it would be very sad living life every day yet dreading the inevitability of what is to come.

By: Jennifer B Baxt, LMFT, LMHC

Jennifer B Baxt, LMFT, LMHC — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:36:16 +0000

thanks for all the replys and it seems like we have a great conversation going here. This fear is not one that necessarily needs therapy, but one that should be addressed. In this day and age, people are living well into the hundreds and more and more people are saying that 60 is the new 40. I believe that if you have a fear, it comes from watching someone that you care about die or even get sick and you need to understand what is really behind the fear.

By: ricky

ricky — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:51:16 +0000

What sorts of strategies do you recommend for those in this situation? Seems like it would be an easy fix-how long do people usually stay in therapy for this?

By: debra

debra — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:50:12 +0000

Thanks for a great article!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:49:42 +0000

Watching my grandmother grow old did instill this sort of phobia in me. I watched her go from an independent, feisty woman to one who could not take care of even her most basic needs. I did get therapy for this phobia and it helped tremendously. Now when the old fears start creeping in, I have a list of things to do to keep them at bay. I am very grateful that I have my life back and can enjoy the present rather than dreading the future.

By: Niels

Niels — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:47:59 +0000

Growing old is certainly something I think everyone fears on some level. But, to be consumed by the fear must certainly be a difficult way to live. Growing old does present legitimate challenges. But, no one can predict how they will handle the challenges nor the consequences of the way to handle those challenges until they are in the situation themselves. So, to worry about what will happen in that portion of life really is, well, a waste of time. Getting therapy to help calm such fears is extremely well worth the time and effort. Otherwise, those who don’t seek therapy will end up looking back and realizing how much time they have wasted that they cannot get back.