Midorexia Or Fear Of Aging: How Does The Obsession With Staying Young Influence Us?
Why can we experience fear or dread as time passes? What can we do to deal with the negativity associated with aging? Discover the keys to confront this discomfort.
Our way of life and our culture are obsessed with the cult of youth. In fact, we just need to look at how aesthetic operations as well as the pharmaceutical industry are benefiting due to this fixation on maintaining and preserving youth. All of this can cause many people to suffer midorexia or fear of aging. This fear can end up making people suffer from anxiety or even harm our mental health. But how can we identify it and what to do to deal with it?
The midorexia, also known as gerascophobia, is the fear or fear of growing old or having a birthday. This feeling can end up making people go for different cosmetic procedures or isolate themselves due to the fear of being seen as aged in front of others. According to different researchers, there are several theories that could explain the origins of this fear. Mainly, this fear can be linked to meeting social expectations, not achieving what is expected in life or simply the fear of not preserving the ‘beauty’ of youth. In addition, studies also show that midorexia can end up harming our mental and physical health.
What are the symptoms of fear of aging?
Some of the signs that could indicate that you are facing a fear of aging that is harming you are the following:
Persistent fear of growing old or experiencing sadness when your birthday approaches
Avoid situations or activities that remind you of birthdays or mortality
Suffering from anxiety linked to birthdays or aging
Obsessive concern with maintaining a good appearance or maintaining youth
Obsession with everything linked to health, illness or death
These may be some of the signs that could indicate that you are suffering from fear of aging or midorexia. If you feel that this may be your case, it is important that you take the necessary measures.
Main causes of midorexia
Although there is no single cause that can determine midorexia the reality is that experts identify the following causes among the most common:
Negative messages about aging: Nowadays, in most media there are messages that encourage people to take care of their appearance to stay young. These messages can trigger negative beliefs and insecurities around old age.
Prejudices linked to age and workplace: Although laws protect people from age discrimination in the workplace, the reality is that indirectly, this treatment can still exist in some toxic work environments. This can also aggravate the desire to appear younger.
Pressure from industry and pharmaceutical companies: In the beauty industry, old age is often pointed out as something that we should avoid at all costs. By treating old age as a disease, this can cause a negative impact on the way we perceive the passing of the years, creating a fear or fear of growing old.
Death of a close family member or loved one: Going through grief due to the death of a very close loved one can end up leading to fear of aging or midorexia. Furthermore, when this happens, people tend to remember their mortality more intensely, which can also trigger a feeling of phobia about birthdays.
Lack of personal experiences with older people: Witnessing the loneliness that older people can suffer can end up promoting feelings of fear about aging.
If you think you are suffering from a fear of aging, we recommend that you take the following aspects into account:
Practice relaxation and meditation techniques: In many cases, midorexia tends to be closely linked to anxiety disorders, excess stress or even depression. Given this, these feelings or thoughts can be connected to internal nervousness, causing both physical and mental discomfort. If this resonates with you, it is important that you try to deal with this situation through different relaxation techniques. For example, controlling your breathing by making it slower, or doing a short meditation, will help you deal with all these symptoms.
Perform regular physical activity: Playing a sport or moving daily, especially if it is in a natural environment, will also help you deal with thoughts linked to midorexia. This is because physical exercise helps balance your body in every way.
Challenge negative thoughts and beliefs: The fear or fear of aging or the passage of time can also be closely linked to negative internal dialogue, that is, treating ourselves unkindly. So, if this is your case, it is important that you try to challenge these thoughts, reasoning with them or replacing them with more positive versions.
Stay connected with your loved ones: Sometimes, the lack of connection with the ‘world’ can end up making us feel bad about our situation and as the years go by. By taking more attention to our relationships and bonds, this will allow us to feel better about our lives and especially with the idea of mortality and the passage of time.
Focus on giving meaning to your life: The lack of meaning and a goal can end up making us feel disconnected from ourselves and lead to a fear of the passage of time. So, if you feel that you are not connected to your meaning, it is important that you start focusing and organizing yourself on what you want so much to make your life worth living.
Seek professional help: If you think these feelings are affecting your life, it is recommended that you see a mental health professional. This specialist will give you the necessary tools to confront this discomfort and build a healthier relationship over time.
As we see, the midorexia It can end up wreaking havoc on a mental level. Therefore, it is important that we face this discomfort as soon as possible. By not treating their symptoms, people can end up suffering from depression, anxiety, as well as social isolation and other mental health problems.
