Coming to Terms with Being a “Senior”
How are you supposed to feel about becoming an older adult? Those who choose to be positive see and appreciate the great aspects of aging – from the senior discounts and financial perks to enjoying life’s simple pleasures, such as having fun with grandchildren and spending more free time to pursue new and old passions and interests. If you are one of them, then you must be having a great time as you take pleasure and bask in this wonderful time while having zest for life.
There is a big bunch of seniors out there, however, that feel otherwise. After all, getting older can make you realize how limited, even short, one lifetime is. The thought that the end of life is inevitable and that it gets closer with each day that passes can sow fear. If you are struggling with poor health, sadness and grief, isolation, or financial troubles, then moving into your senior years could be a difficult experience you may not want to think about, lest live it through.
Certain things cannot be changed, such as aging and with it are physical changes that can require being dependent on others, losing loved ones, and yes, death. The best that you can do is to accept these realities as facts of life. If you are showing signs of anxiety or depression because of your challenges, know that coming to terms with these certainties can be easier with robust emotional health. Seeking the help of a counselor can make a difference.
Aging in the United States
Aging is a natural biological phenomenon, a “universal change process” that occurs in all living things. Diane Wagner, a therapist at the Midwest Institute for Rehabilitation at Christ Hospital and Medical Center, say “Changes occur in our physiological being, as well as cognitive self. Biological aging incorporates an abundance of changes. As crude as it may sound, it is true that the body is a machine and that, with all machines, it becomes less functional with age.”
Despite the medical advances in the present century, all that was achieved is to slow down the process, but aging cannot be stopped. The proof is reflected in the improved life expectancy from 43 years in 1900 to about 71 (for men) – 78 (for women) in the present century. The longevity factor is getting even better, so that the older population is currently growing twice as fast as the other age groups in the last twenty years.
This means this demographic age group is older, so that 39 percent of this population was at least 75 years old in 1980. This is going higher in this century – t is estimated that the 85-plus populace will grow by sevenfold towards the middle of the present century. The number of seniors aged 60 and older around the planet is also projected to escalate from the 1980 statistic of 376 million to 1.1 billion by the year 2025.
Improving the Quality of Senior Life
These statistics underscore the importance of sustaining, even improving the current services available for older adults like you to better the quality of your lives. After all, the change will entail the diminishing of the physical, cognitive and social functions. Though cognitive weakness can be very individualistic, it is common for seniors like yourself to have declining short-term memory, slower ability to process information, and diminished capacity for new learning. As these will affect your lifestyle, all these will impact the social interactions and emotional health.
Since the improvement in the life span of the older adults is directly caused by the advancement of health care and health care education, expect that these will even get better. With advancing age, you may lose connections, as you retire, and/or your children build their own nests. You may also be gripped with grief as you witness the passing of your peers and loved ones. You may become vulnerable to depression, anxiety, overwhelm, grief, and other negative emotions, putting your emotional health at risk. Thus, aging can challenge your sense of self and your ability to live contentedly.
On a positive note, getting older has its positive facets. Life expectancy has increased, and health care options have improved, so you have these to benefit from. You also have the opportunity to improve the quality of your life with robust emotional health. To come to terms with being a senior, enjoy the perks of getting older. Counseling can tremendously help in translating the remarkable increase in life expectancy, health care, etc. into the wonderful process of becoming a senior.
Which Way to Go
Journeying from the golden into the twilight years can be a great challenge, but it can also be a wonderful phase to enjoy life anew. The global phenomenon of the growing number of seniors can be considered as an achievement, just as aging can be regarded as just another phase of life. It can be anything – it can be another happy phase in your life and it could be a sad time, being a sign of deterioration or of an ending.
The additional years of wisdom and accomplishments can give you a vigorous sense of pride, yet those added years are also the reason for your uncertain health, losses, grief, even isolation and other issues. The retirement will free your time that you can use to make it special, being with your loved ones and pursuing what you may have put aside for such a long time. You can now volunteer to pursue your advocacy. You can share your knowledge and experience without looking at your watch and calendar.
Indeed, you have options. You can decide which way to go. The difference lies in how you, or any older adult for that matter, perceives aging. Physical health matters, but so does your emotional health. Coming to terms with becoming an older adult can be easier without depression or anxiety. It can even be more pleasurable and comforting if you can take care of your emotional wellbeing. It is as important now that you are a senior as it was at any time during your younger years. More so because emotional conditions around this time “account for 6.6% of the total disability (DALYs) for this age group,” says the World Health Organization.
Reaping the Benefits of Aging
Not every older adult can reap the rewards of their golden-to-twilight years with ease. Like with anything else, there can be a trade-off. You may have a rough time with certain physical and cognitive disabilities. So, the paths may not be as easy to negotiate, and the conversations may not be as easy to carry on. It could be a lonely time with your children now all grown up and living on their own. It could be an anxious and depressive time with chronic medical conditions and increased dependence on others to do day-to-day tasks.
Aging, however, has its perks too. There are senior discounts that will help avail the products or services you either want or need – food, health care, transportation and entertainment. There are safety-net programs, such as Medicaid, Social Security, Medicare, etc. that will ensure you have social and financial security at this stage in your life. Most importantly, you now have more time to smell the flowers, go on long walks, laugh with your loved ones, or have fun with your grandchildren.
Come to terms with being a senior to better reap its benefits and rewards. It will be easier if you have robust emotional health. If you are having difficulty because you have any of the related issues associated with aging, a counselor independently contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Pittsboro, NC, can help. Helping you accept the realities of aging, come to terms with aging and rediscover a healthier and happier life for you.