HOW OLD IS OLD? EMOTIONAL ASSETS
Posted on March 11, 2009, under General health.
The well-adjusted older person approaches true freedom because he has overcome the self-consciousness that causes so much pain in the early years. He gains in poise and self-control, becoming more tolerant of himself and others. Although emotional experiences are less acute and intense, they are richer, deeper, and more subtle.
Fear, anxiety, and insecurity are extremely damaging to the emotional health of old people—as, indeed, they are at any time. The irritability of the aged is frequently due simply to fatigue and responds readily to rest. The dislike of change and a suspicious attitude towards anything or anyone new often stem from a lack of self-confidence. It is not characteristic of old people who are emotionally secure, although elderly people may tend to be conservative.
It is true that there are special emotional difficulties in this as in other periods.
It is after we pass the midway mark that many of us face the fact that we are mortal. Some people accept the idea of death with equanimity. To a great many others, it is profoundly disturbing.
Talk about the meaning of life and death with members of your family or your closest friends. If there are things in the past that weigh heavily on your conscience or if you fear death excessively, discuss the matter with your clergyman or doctor or a psychiatrist.
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