Posted by Tabitha on October 17, 2012, at 14:23:52
In reply to Re: Psychology of aging » Tabitha, posted by Dinah on October 14, 2012, at 19:38:08
Well yeah, as aging people we eventually have to get out of the way to make room for the young, in the public eye, in the workplace, on the planet. But in our individual lives, there's never really a void after a loss. Something fills it. I think I tended not to notice that, instead was focusing on toting up the losses. For instance I can count family who've died or friends who've moved away as losses. Yet I still have family relations and friend relations, and some of those have deepened over the years, and there are even some new ones. I've lost my career for the time being, perhaps permanently. Yet I still have a daily routine and things to do. So life just changes. My body changes. It helps to learn new things. I can still do physically challenging things even if I have more aches and pains and can't read the fine print. Can't say I achieved this outlook with my own reflection-- the meds help tremendously. For now I'm not viewing things through the awful negative filter of depression.
I'm doing ok. Having more good days than bad, and managing not to be overwhelmed with the fear of possible futures. It's still hard on the bad days to remember that so far, good days inevitably follow.
> > I need to look for some gains to offset the losses. The old makes way for the new. That way it's a flow of events, not a building up then a tearing down.
>
> Well, I do find myself thinking that way. But I strongly suspect you mean it differently. Ever since my doctor told me that as we get older, we need less food, I've been making comments like "I guess I'll take a smaller portion. I need to leave the resources for the next generation or they'll consider me a liability to the pack."
>
> Could you tell me about your more positive view of it?
>
> (How are you doing?)
poster:Tabitha
thread:1028401
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20120922/msgs/1028967.html