Aging can arouse anxiety and even cause real psychological suffering.
If aging is an inevitable biological process, it is often scary. “Fear of old age is something that comes up a lot in my patients’ speech” Observe Sandrine Paris, aging psychologist. The turning point occurs when perception comes up against reality because “In our head, we always have the impression of being young”. Often it is a health problem that reveals this discrepancy: “It can be a pathology or a physical problem that we had never had before. Suddenly, we will feel in our body that something no longer follows.” But you can easily go by changing your perspective, explains the psychologist.
“The idea is to accept to age. And you have to understand that accepting is not to resign yourself.” If old age scares, it is because it confronts loss: loss of autonomy, loss of our forces, the loss of the physique and “The first real losses, the disappearances”. However, the more we accept it, the better we live. As the specialist reminds us, to fight against the passage of time is “Fight against the inevitable”. This generates a feeling of helplessness and anxiety, which often results in physical pain: “Suddenly, we’re going to have a stomach ache, head, legs … There is a problem all the time.” Depressive thoughts can also occur: “THE People lose self -confidence, they feel like they are no longer used for anything. “
The psychologist then invites to repeat the following sentence : “Just because I get older that I lose things.” Because accepting your old age is also to see what you gain from age. “Aging is not only losses, it is also what remains”recalls Sandrine Paris. We find wisdom, hindsight, but also, paradoxically, more time and freedom, especially after the end of professional life. To take advantage of it, it is essential to stay linked to others, to cultivate your passions and even to discover new ones.
Finally, support can be precious. “Aging well, everyone will be confronted with it. This is why it is important to ask for help if it is a somewhat difficult step”advises Sandrine Paris. Maintaining good mental health also involves taking care of your physical health, maintaining physical activity, ensuring a balanced diet and preserving the quality of its sleep.
