Fear of Aging and Death
By Jake Kohl
Abstract
According to Victor
Frankl, purpose in life is one of the most powerful sources of inner strength
and can literally make the difference between life and death in extreme
circumstances. Studies have shown that
the fear of aging and death is evident in America by the vast anti-aging
products being sold over the counter as well as being prescribed by physicians
and as far as advertisements on billboards, magazines and info-commercials.
America wants to look young and attractive to fulfill the social status of
popularity. Scientists look for new methods of finding a fountain of
youth. Presently, the anti-aging market
is a $30 billion market. In the next three years, it is expect to grow to $70
billion. This is the fastest growing market in the U.S.
("The Anti-Aging Market") Many fear
the inevitable, but the fear is based on the not knowing or the coming death we
all will partake in. Americans must accept life and the natural aging process
which will result in death, or suffer a life of torment within the mind and
body; which in turn will lead to stressors that can cause many illnesses.
Growing up
through childhood, we often do not think of getting old or dying. We want to
run, play, swim and just explore the mysteries of childhood. We do this because
it helps us develop skills that will be used as adults. A child’s life is
developed through both nurturing and nature; we develop critical thinking
skills that will affect our life as we continue to grow. (Berger, &
Reviews, 2009) We often wish we were older as children by
mental thought and role playing. Little girls dress up and want to wear
make-up, having tea parties, whereas boys, play war with fake
guns, build forts and play doctor or even role play a husband or father.
As we grow
older, we become more aware of our physical changes; for most, the first gray
hair is a cue to our conscious awareness of getting older. Many in America look
for the cure-all from looking older; scientists are continuously looking for
the fountain of youth so we can maintain that youthful look (Lewis, Ethan.
2010). Americans fear aging because of image and social status. The movie star
image is the norm. This phenomenon is apparent by the face lifts, nose jobs,
breast implants and the other countless surgeries that are done. We are assured
by scholars that subconscious death fears are a powerful influence on our thinking.
(Becker, E. 1973) This coincides with the development of a nurturing mind.
According to the National Institute on Aging,
people are living longer. (NIA) We seem to avoid the evident and hardly ever
talk about it, let alone teach and explain it. Death comes for us all, and the things
we hold onto will not be there for us when we face God. (Everyman, 2009) Based
on the facts, the fear of aging and death is a powerful influence on our
thinking, and this can lead to high levels
of anxiety, if not dealt with properly. High levels of anxiety can lead to many
health problems including depression.
Let’s face it;
secular and Christian alike would love to stay young and look their best, even
in the later years of life. Questions from Christians are, when we go to
Heaven, will we be young? In a more recent survey conducted by AARP, nearly
2,000 Americans age 45 and older were questioned about their fear of dying. Younger
people (about 30 percent of those 45-49) expressed fear of dying than older
people (about 15 percent of those 75 and older). More women overall (24
percent) than men overall (18 percent) were afraid of dying. (The Cincinnati
Post, 2002) We can question why women were more afraid of dying than men, which
is evident in the aging process and the surgeries that correspond with the
youthful image. There are more aging creams and image enhancers sold to women
than to men, but a 30 billion market overall. ("The Anti-Aging
Market") To understand the fear of
death more so in women, we have to understand the psychology of women.
Regardless of
creams, surgeries, and/or fear itself; as soon as we accept life, we then must accept
that we are all aging and we will all die. The psychological aspect of fear can
dilute out minds to the true understanding of getting older and eventually
death. We must understand that God is the author and finisher of each of our
lives and that we are not meant to have a fear within us regarding aging and
death. One must know that we all age and we all will die and we all must face
our Judge. The fear may also extend subconsciously in our mind about after
death, what happens? In Ecclesiastes 3:1, the Bible tells us “To everything there
is a season, A time for every purpose under
heaven.” This aging process and death is part of everything, and it does have a
season, regardless if we try to avoid it. The next verse hits the nail on the
head; it states,
“A time to be born, And a time to die.” Think about this for a minute; if to
everything there is a season, a time for every purpose, why do you think there
is a time to be born as also to die? It is interesting enough that our God has
each of our lives predestined. He knows when we will make that decision to
accept Him and knows the fears we have about the process of getting old and
dying. As Christians, we know the answer, and if you’re a Christian and still
have this fear, you must question your salvation as truth and then stand on His
promise.
In conclusion,
most of adults would love to stay youthful looking as we were in our prime
years.
The fear of aging and death in the United States is evident that it is
an epidemic of fear itself.
“Slowing the aging process would be one of the most
dramatic and momentous ways of enhancing
human beings.” ("Hastings Center
Report”) However, it is inevitable that the aging process will slow.
We must
resist what the media tells us to look like and become leaders ourselves,
instead of being
influenced by others. This is a form of the fifth stage of
development, according to Erikson, known as
identity versus diffusion. (Berger,
& Reviews, 2009) We all have an appointment with death, and
while we try to prolong it, it will still come. We cannot live forever and our
bodies will eventually
wear out, as a result of sin. While the fear is evident,
it is also evident that it is not slowing, but
growing, especially here in
America. With fear, comes many other stressors that can affect our
bodies and
mind more so than not. From anti-agingcreams to
avoidance of buying life insurance, we
must all realize that the overwhelming
statistic shows that one out of every one person will die.
References
Becker, E. (1973). The Denial
of Death. Free Press, New York.
Berger, Kathleen, & Reviews,
Cram101. (2009). Outlines and highlights for development person through life
span by kathleen stassen berger, isbn. Worth Pub.
" Biogerontology,
"Anti-Aging Medicine," and the Challenges of Human
Enhancement.." Hastings Center Report. 33. (2003): Print.
The Cincinnati Post, 2002,
Retrieved from
http://www.thestressoflife.com/how_people_handle_fear_of_death.htm
(2009). Everyman. Columbia Electronic
Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 1. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete
database.
Lewis, Ethan. (2010). The Fountain of
youth found in a bottle?. Washington Medical Journal, Retrieved from http://washingtonmedicaljournal.com/wmj/lifestyle/articles/279034/Default.aspx
NIA Can
we Prevent aging?.
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/healthinformation/publications/preventaging.htm
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