What is the fear of getting old called?

Gerontophobia is the fear of old people or growing old. People with this fear tend to worry about growing old because they fear being left alone with no one to take of or comfort them in their old age. The origin of the word ger is Greek (meaning old age) and phobia is Greek (meaning fear).

How to manage the fear of getting old?

Get to the Route of the Problem. Followers of Freudian psychology generally believe that a phobia is an expression of an unconscious fear that we are repressing.

What phobia is the fear of growing old?

Gerascophobia is an abnormal or incessant fear of growing older or ageing. Gerascophobia is a clinical phobia generally classified under specific phobias, fears of a single specific panic trigger.

Why are people scared of getting old?

Often, to ‘normal’ people, it may seem quite odd that one can fear such a natural phenomenon. However, the fear of getting old phobia actually tends to have deeper roots. Most common underlying factor behind such a fear is anxiety . By nature, Gerascophobic individuals are anxious or high strung.

Why do people fear growing old?

The thought loneliness, being unwanted, or becoming a burden and dependent upon our friends and family members is another reason we fear getting old. It seems like when we get older our friends tend to diminish and our interests seem to clash with the younger generation, so they stop coming around as much.

Why do people fear more as they get older?

“As you get older, your organ of balance tends to deteriorate and you’re likely to feel more physically vulnerable.” Older adults also tend to have people who depend on them, and this can make them more troubled by the possibility of falling. Worries such as these can intensify a phobia.