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Fear of aging is a common phobia of the present time
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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One of the phobias of our time has become the fear of growing old. Doctors have even given it a special term - gerascophobia, that is, the fear of aging. As psychologists say, in order to cope with fear, you need to get to know it better. Therefore, before entering into a merciless battle with old age, let's first figure out - what are we actually afraid of with gerascophobia?
Impotence. One of the worst nightmares of any man. Impotence scares men even more than death or cancer. For the stronger sex, the thought that one day they will not be able to do what was once easy is unbearable.
Weakness. Another fear of the stronger sex is the physical weakening of the body. It is physical strength that, in our opinion, makes a man a man. However, no matter how much physical strength a man has, he is still unable to fight nature and the aging process.
Impaired thinking and memory. Dementia, or memory loss, is often associated with aging, as is Alzheimer's disease, which most often causes this impairment. The scariest thing here is that the likelihood of such disorders is higher for men than for women.
Unattractiveness. Women are designed by nature to be beautiful creatures, that's a fact. Otherwise, men would lose interest in them. Sadly, it's rare that a woman becomes more attractive as she ages. By losing her beauty, women lose the very meaning of existence.
Loneliness. Unlike most men, women like to be in company. They feel more comfortable when they have someone to chat with, do something together, or go somewhere. When children go on their own, or when a spouse dies, women often become depressed.
Oncology. As women age, they are more susceptible to certain types of cancer: ovarian, cervical, breast, and duodenal. For this reason, doctors recommend more frequent mammograms, cervical smears, and colonoscopies. The need to go to the hospital more often only increases a woman's fear that her body is slowly deteriorating.
When a person better understands their fear and its causes, it is much easier to cope with this fear. Analyze what exactly scares you about aging, and finally start doing something to delay this process! In this way, you will give yourself more than a dozen years of a full life by coping with gerascophobia.
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