Ask the therapist: 'Ageing scares me'

I am paranoid about ageing. I just turned 40 and everyone around me is keen on reminding me about that — the lines on my face, how I’m no longer as thin as I used to be. It affects my confidence. What do I do? — Name Withheld

Dear Writer, thank you for sharing your thoughts about your fear of aging and your discomfort with people reminding you of your age. You should not think that you are being singled out, because aging is something that happens to all of us, and whoever is reminding you of your age is aging too.

When you say that normal aging is affecting your confidence, I would like you to think about your self-worth. What are all your unique attributes that make you who you are? What have you learned over the course of 40 years? What are your aspirations and goals? How do you derive purpose and meaning from life? Chances are that none of your answers has anything to do with having a youthful appearance, and that is as it should be.

We are an age diverse culture, and it is time that we begin to introduce middle-aged and older people into more visible positions in the media and the workforce. This way we all would gain a more balanced perspective on how people’s appearance changes over time and recognise that it is normal, and that it is possible to be beautiful at any age.

Dr. Annette is an integrated therapist at https://chmc-dubai.com/--

• Dubai