Anxiety due to aging

[Anonymous]

Anyone experience anxiety due to aging? I’m finding I worry about a lot of things as I get older. Will my retirement funds be sufficient? Who will die first me or my spouse? How could I emotionally survive being a widow? Will I be extremely lonely in old age?

[Anonymous]

Yeah, but I realize that I can't control much of what gives me anxiety, aging,death, money, so each day is a new day and I just live it.
Life goes faster than we think. Connect yourself with good friends.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I notice this with my mom and with older friends that are late 50's to 70's. DH, 59, is getting very sensitive to too now. I, on the there other hand, am getting harder, less tolerant to things.

[Anonymous]

I used to say that I could tell when my mom and my aunts got old because they started worrying so much. And now here I am. I worry about the stupidest things. Like what if a pipe bursts in my basement while I’m at work. It’s crazy.

[Anonymous]

I feel this in my bones and I'm right there with you.

Does this get better for anyone? I cannot fathom living like this for the next 30 years.

[Anonymous]

Not for my own age, no, but when i think of 80+ it is depressing. We have so many relatives who died recently, with mostly very sad circumstances, regressing to a basically child-like state, loneliness, being homebound...I do not want this for myself and at times it weighs on me to consider it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, but I realize that I can't control much of what gives me anxiety, aging,death, money, so each day is a new day and I just live it.
Life goes faster than we think. Connect yourself with good friends.

This.
Anxiety is just your brain trying to fill in the blanks for an uncertain future. Try meditation and accepting the uncertainty.

[Anonymous]

A plus actually that it's worry over you and not others - at least you can have some control over details of your life!

[Anonymous]

Just learn from your elders. Don’t make their mistakes if possible. Find ways to be grateful that you made it this far. Maybe volunteer at a retirement home.

[Anonymous]

My father recently (last 3 weeks) died of Parkinson's and related complications. He had it for 20 years, and the last 3-4 was mostly homebound.

If there ever was a model for how to age and accept your body's shortcomings gracefully, he was it.

He spent a lot of time with people he loved, including his wife and his kids and grandkids. That shows me that the most important thing as we age is good relationships. He also had good friends, who visited him frequently. And good neighbors. You don't need to have a lot of money. You don't need to take trips to Europe or the Caribbean to feel fulfilled. You just need people that you like spending time with, and who likes spending time with you.

He had to go to the ER a lot for various issues. Lots of falls. He didn't think too far ahead after each setback. He just looked at the present day He did prepare financially, so my mom is actually a very rich widow now. For once that was done, he just left the rest to the universe.

I do find it pretty interesting, because he was an atheist through and through. He didn't spend too much time thinking about the future and his soul. But he didn't spend a lot of time thinking about his regrets either or what ifs or the bygone yesteryears. Just focused on the present, and his hobbies and academic interests of which he had quite a few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My father recently (last 3 weeks) died of Parkinson's and related complications. He had it for 20 years, and the last 3-4 was mostly homebound.

If there ever was a model for how to age and accept your body's shortcomings gracefully, he was it.

He spent a lot of time with people he loved, including his wife and his kids and grandkids. That shows me that the most important thing as we age is good relationships. He also had good friends, who visited him frequently. And good neighbors. You don't need to have a lot of money. You don't need to take trips to Europe or the Caribbean to feel fulfilled. You just need people that you like spending time with, and who likes spending time with you.

He had to go to the ER a lot for various issues. Lots of falls. He didn't think too far ahead after each setback. He just looked at the present day He did prepare financially, so my mom is actually a very rich widow now. For once that was done, he just left the rest to the universe.

I do find it pretty interesting, because he was an atheist through and through. He didn't spend too much time thinking about the future and his soul. But he didn't spend a lot of time thinking about his regrets either or what ifs or the bygone yesteryears. Just focused on the present, and his hobbies and academic interests of which he had quite a few.

Thank you for this. He sounds like he was a great dad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My father recently (last 3 weeks) died of Parkinson's and related complications. He had it for 20 years, and the last 3-4 was mostly homebound.

If there ever was a model for how to age and accept your body's shortcomings gracefully, he was it.

He spent a lot of time with people he loved, including his wife and his kids and grandkids. That shows me that the most important thing as we age is good relationships. He also had good friends, who visited him frequently. And good neighbors. You don't need to have a lot of money. You don't need to take trips to Europe or the Caribbean to feel fulfilled. You just need people that you like spending time with, and who likes spending time with you.

He had to go to the ER a lot for various issues. Lots of falls. He didn't think too far ahead after each setback. He just looked at the present day He did prepare financially, so my mom is actually a very rich widow now. For once that was done, he just left the rest to the universe.

I do find it pretty interesting, because he was an atheist through and through. He didn't spend too much time thinking about the future and his soul. But he didn't spend a lot of time thinking about his regrets either or what ifs or the bygone yesteryears. Just focused on the present, and his hobbies and academic interests of which he had quite a few.

Thank you for this. He sounds like he was a great dad

+1 what a lovely man and inspiration

[Anonymous]

Look up the 4 Nobel Truths. You don't need to be anxious about aging.

[Anonymous]

I too find myself worrying more since I hit my 50's. I will be 52 in November. I am a few months past menopause and I am having some complications. Menopause has been tough. I have to go to my OBGYN on July 19 and I am terrified. I keep going down worse case scenarios when there is a 90% chance I am perfectly fine. This stage of my life I feel out of control of what my body and mind is doing. I have health anxiety now. I also worry more about my children who are all grown now. I worry about money. I miss my parents so bad. They passed away a few years ago. I took care of them till they passed. I am currently taking care of my older brother and sister who are having medical problems. My husband is also having health scares but is okay. My cat had emergency surgery recently. Life feels like it's nothing but emergencies. It's been so stressful and I cry all the time. My anxiety it too high, which is probably why I am having a menopause issue. I pray a lot for God to give me peace and to. comfort me.

[Anonymous]

I am sorry you are so worried. These worries cross my mind too. To help with it, I’m considering what I’d like to do and what I’d regret NOT doing.

So, I’m now working on a long-term goal and happy about that.

I’m also finding ways to connect with friends on a regular basis.