Are you scared of aging?
While it is understandable that most people have a natural tendency to feel uncomfortable with their own aging and mortality, there are a few in the crowd who are horrified by the natural process to the point of having a phobia. The phobia where people are terrified of aging is called gerascophobia. Though, to say it is simply a fear of growing old can be a little deceiving. Gerascophobia is perhaps more the fear of what can happen to a person when they grow old. It could mean a loss of independence they value, the wrinkles they will develop, the loss of hair (mostly in the case of men), any diseases that can come from aging, or even a retirement they don"t know what to do with. For many people, these thoughts briefly cross their mind and are quickly brushed away with reasoning; aging is a natural process that happens to everyone and they will deal with it when the time comes. Unfortunately, for the few who suffer gerascophobia, it is something that brings on anxiety and fear about something they really don"t have any control over. Perhaps the lack of control is one of the major worries for these individuals as well; a lack of control whether they will end up in a nursing home, for example.
How does a person know if they actually suffer from gerascophobia? It depends on a person"s reaction to the idea of their growing old and not being able to accept that it is a natural process of life that they don"t have control over. If thinking about it brings on elevated blood pressure, sweating, excessive worry, or even a panic attack, it is a possibility. This phobia can even cause people to withdraw from society and become anti-social. The phobia can even develop into a fear of losing loved ones when not dealt with properly. A professional, such as a therapist or a counselor, can often help the patient find out if what they are suffering from really is the gerascophobia, or another condition, such as depression that can often lead a person to focus more on the negative in life than the positive.
Gerascophobia is a real phobia that real people suffer, as strange as it may seem. For some people, facing their own mortality fills them with an uncontrollable dread they can"t get rid of. For anyone who believes they might have this, consulting a therapist or a counselor would be a good idea. A professional opinion, followed by the right therapy, could help a person deal with this phobia so that it doesn"t prevent them from enjoying the life they have. Therapists or counselors can help a person deal with their fear in a way that can allow them to accept that growing old is nothing to be afraid of and that they should be focusing more on their day to day life, as well as the time they spend with loved ones, than to focus all their attention on something they cannot control. To spend an entire life fearing old age will only bring it on earlier as the stress caused by the phobia will eventually take its toll on a person, whether it is in a physical way, a mental way, or in both ways.
NFE/1.0 phobia - Google News en news-feedback@google.com ©2008 Google Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:51:07 GMT Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:51:07 GMT phobia - Google News http://news.google.com/intl/en_us/images/news_res.gif Brits Own Up to Euro-Phobia - Spiegel Online tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,600136,00.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 13:35:55 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td width=80 align=center valign=top><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0i-0&fd=R&url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,600136,00.html&cid=0&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNERXhPAEEqh46wM26L_BVzGS30ZpA"><img src=http://nt1.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=HYFLVld8BpQJ&imgurl=www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1399467,00.jpg width=80 height=80 alt="" border=1><br><font size=-2>Spiegel Online</font></a></font></td><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-0&fd=R&url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,600136,00.html&cid=0&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNERXhPAEEqh46wM26L_BVzGS30ZpA">Brits Own Up to Euro-<b>Phobia</b></a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Spiegel Online, Germany -</font> <nobr>21 hours ago</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>For the first time in years, they've been given an opportunity to break through their countrymen's deepset euro-<b>phobia</b>. A strong euro, they speculate, <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table> Monday Profile: Swimmer conquered phobia stroke by stroke - Contra Costa Times tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_11371775 Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:15:24 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/1-0&fd=R&url=http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_11371775&cid=1290313028&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNFltoBMNJafsyxKutgTMXGgdgudig">Monday Profile: Swimmer conquered <b>phobia</b> stroke by stroke</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Contra Costa Times, CA -</font> <nobr>Jan 5, 2009</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>By Jennifer Starks Diddo Clark near some of her collected rock sculptures at her apartment in Lafayette, Calif. on Thursday, January 01, 2009. <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table> Phobia review was flippant - Stoke & Staffordshire tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/letters/Phobia-review-flippant/article-590585-detail/article.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:28:41 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/2-0&fd=R&url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/letters/Phobia-review-flippant/article-590585-detail/article.html&cid=0&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNHmZoGVbRqcKjo6pG5zBP1ZlgdnQQ"><b>Phobia</b> review was flippant</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Stoke & Staffordshire, UK -</font> <nobr>Jan 7, 2009</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>His review on December 31 about <b>phobias</b>, revealed that he himself may have a <b>phobia</b> about Camilla Parker-Bowles as he seems to use every opportunity to make <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table> Triskaideka- phobia is no problem for Tar Heels - Chapel Hill News tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.chapelhillnews.com/sports/story/34641.html Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:46:38 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/3-0&fd=R&url=http://www.chapelhillnews.com/sports/story/34641.html&cid=1288857250&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNG1X3v_kSWo-z7gyL_Omc5ymIVIdQ">Triskaideka- <b>phobia</b> is no problem for Tar Heels</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Chapel Hill News, NC -</font> <nobr>Jan 3, 2009</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>If one believes in omens, some things bode well for the top-ranked North Carolina men's basketball team. The Tar Heels have won their 13 games so far by <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table> Water phobia girl on ship voyage - BBC News tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/7800469.stm Fri, 26 Dec 2008 17:25:20 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td width=80 align=center valign=top><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/4i-0&fd=R&url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/7800469.stm&cid=1285872311&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNG6B0KdR3qASY5EwDk1YCEZjcTVYQ"><img src=http://nt3.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=B82wejANuFUJ&imgurl=newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45328000/jpg/_45328397_jocelynsmith226.jpg width=80 height=60 alt="" border=1><br><font size=-2>BBC News</font></a></font></td><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/4-0&fd=R&url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/7800469.stm&cid=1285872311&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNG6B0KdR3qASY5EwDk1YCEZjcTVYQ">Water <b>phobia</b> girl on ship voyage</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>BBC News, UK -</font> <nobr>Dec 26, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>A Portsmouth teenager who breaks down in tears at the thought of open water is to embark on a transatlantic tall ship voyage to overcome her <b>phobia</b>. <b>...</b></font><br><font size=-1><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/4-1&fd=R&url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hhb0CxzBq_RzrxsjA_UDTkotnvsg&cid=1285872311&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNEjMXnNeMe4r3E5bov_tMlhykjVfg">Water-sick teen to cross Atlantic</a> <font size=-1 color=#6f6f6f><nobr>The Press Association</nobr></font></font><br><font class=p size=-1><a class=p href=http://news.google.ru/news?hl=en&ned=en_en&ie=ISO-8859-1&ncl=1285872311><nobr>all 11 news articles</nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table> More great moments in governance - Examiner.com tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.examiner.com/x-2327-Drinks-Examiner~y2009m1d7-More-great-moments-in-governance Thu, 08 Jan 2009 01:46:02 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td width=80 align=center valign=top><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/5i-0&fd=R&url=http://www.examiner.com/x-2327-Drinks-Examiner~y2009m1d7-More-great-moments-in-governance&cid=1290966886&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNEyZiSD6Jsl1B8ebzch9hBRgTt9bA"><img src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=6hEb6Eb0pZoJ&imgurl=image.examiner.com/images/blog/author/img124dowd.jpg width=80 height=68 alt="" border=1><br><font size=-2>Examiner.com</font></a></font></td><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/5-0&fd=R&url=http://www.examiner.com/x-2327-Drinks-Examiner~y2009m1d7-More-great-moments-in-governance&cid=1290966886&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNEyZiSD6Jsl1B8ebzch9hBRgTt9bA">More great moments in governance</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Examiner.com -</font> <nobr>Jan 7, 2009</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>Oh, the illustration above? One possible way to combat the <b>phobia</b>. Or, perhaps it's a serving staff training exercise.</font></div></font></td></tr></table> Keller: What New Englanders Fear The Most - WBZ tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://wbztv.com/local/boston.fears.new.2.901655.html Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:07:58 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/6-0&fd=R&url=http://wbztv.com/local/boston.fears.new.2.901655.html&cid=0&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNHBaU8-T2tEfNY-4TyRaxNpPgpkrQ">Keller: What New Englanders Fear The Most</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>WBZ, MA -</font> <nobr>Jan 6, 2009</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>It seems everybody's got a <b>phobia</b> to add, and some of them come under the heading of "only in New England." Ever since the blizzard of 1978 led to brief <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table> Santa-phobia: Little ones’ fear of Santa Claus not uncommon - Kingsport Times News tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9010523 Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:30:57 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td width=80 align=center valign=top><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/7i-0&fd=R&url=http://www.timesnews.net/article.php%3Fid%3D9010523&cid=1285228127&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNHYw899LCFHTUjhJwQD69tFMQJ0Wg"><img src=http://nt0.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=4GLs3V_n0RoJ&imgurl=www.timesnews.net/gnpics/4386SantaPsychology2.jpg width=80 height=62 alt="" border=1><br><font size=-2>Kingsport Times News</font></a></font></td><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/7-0&fd=R&url=http://www.timesnews.net/article.php%3Fid%3D9010523&cid=1285228127&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNHYw899LCFHTUjhJwQD69tFMQJ0Wg">Santa-<b>phobia</b>: Little ones’ fear of Santa Claus not uncommon</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Kingsport Times News, TN -</font> <nobr>Dec 21, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>If you’re thinking of taking your child for a last-minute photo with Santa, beware of “Santa-<b>phobia</b>.” Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago staff <b>...</b></font><br><font size=-1><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/7-1&fd=R&url=http://www.eagletribune.com/punews/local_story_355234743.html&cid=1285228127&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNEVWuXOQ7p3HLwgHCimLNR515HDBQ">Behind the beard: This Santa Claus has the look and the experience</a> <font size=-1 color=#6f6f6f><nobr>Eagle Tribune</nobr></font></font><br><font class=p size=-1><a class=p href=http://news.google.ru/news?hl=en&ned=en_en&ie=ISO-8859-1&ncl=1285228127><nobr>all 2 news articles</nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table> Three Men Sue Over Frozen Chicken Consumed While in Prison - FOXNews tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,478045,00.html Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:57:59 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/8-0&fd=R&url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,478045,00.html&cid=1291114565&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNEd8rQOaDzKWakWrRXxkGnHU8hG9A">Three Men Sue Over Frozen Chicken Consumed While in Prison</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>FOXNews -</font> <nobr>12 hours ago</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>"Frankly, the only injury you sustained was a <b>phobia</b> of seeing chicken?" Stewart asked Butson, of St. Johnsbury. Stewart said they didn't suffer physical <b>...</b></font><br><font size=-1><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/8-1&fd=R&url=http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090109/NEWS02/901090308/-1/NEWS05&cid=1291114565&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNHzCWzmtEaXcJ80gKkrOWYsXdogcQ">Judge hears foul fowl case</a> <font size=-1 color=#6f6f6f><nobr>BurlingtonFreePress.com</nobr></font></font><br><font class=p size=-1><a class=p href=http://news.google.ru/news?hl=en&ned=en_en&ie=ISO-8859-1&ncl=1291114565><nobr>all 38 news articles</nobr></a></font></div></font></td></tr></table> Do You Have A Strange and Unusual Phobia? Now Casting - Realitywanted tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.realitywanted.com/call/3786-do-you-have-a-strange-and-unusual-phobia-now-casting Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:09:24 GMT <table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7><tr><td valign=top class=j><font style="font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serif"><br><div style="padding-top:0.8em;"><img alt="" height="1" width="1"></div><div class=lh><a href="http://news.google.ru/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/9-0&fd=R&url=http://www.realitywanted.com/call/3786-do-you-have-a-strange-and-unusual-phobia-now-casting&cid=0&ei=GyxnSbWOJKqi9gTFnoWoDQ&usg=AFQjCNH7aOdLLwQMNH0MM7Beu7YC5sdIlQ">Do You Have A Strange and Unusual <b>Phobia</b>? Now Casting</a><br><font size=-1><font color=#6f6f6f>Realitywanted, AZ -</font> <nobr>Dec 29, 2008</nobr></font><br><font size=-1>Do friends and family tease you about your unusual <b>phobia</b>? A new reality show is casting to showcase the strangest <b>phobias</b>! *Must be in the SoCal area *Must <b>...</b></font></div></font></td></tr></table> phobia - Google News Keywords:
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