Life’s journey, birth, aging, illness, and death, like the changing of the seasons, are inevitable. Even in youth, with a strong physique, minor pains and ailments are hard to avoid. In old age, accumulated experience should make one cherish the present more, but why does the fear of illness only grow stronger? This fear does not solely arise from pain but harbors deeper concerns, manifested in three aspects.
First is the concern about the worsening of the illness. With advancing age, bodily functions decline, minor illnesses that were easily overcome in the past may now be harder to self-heal due to weakened immunity. The elderly are prone to illnesses, especially age-related conditions with increased treatment difficulty, slow recovery, the burden of pain on the aging body affecting daily life, thus the fear of falling sick grows day by day.
Secondly, there is the emotional entanglement of fearing loneliness and becoming a burden to children. In old age, facing the fragility of life, the elderly often silently endure pain, unwilling to worry distant children striving far away, or burden children who have built families and are busy. They endure discomfort alone, fearing lack of understanding, afraid of becoming a burden. However, delaying minor illnesses could lead to major problems, concealing their condition out of kindness may miss treatment opportunities, ultimately leading to more serious consequences, even threatening life safety.
Furthermore, economic burden becomes another major concern. As the old saying goes: “fear poverty and disease.” The elderly often feel that falling sick not only requires care but also entails significant medical expenses, worrying about the family’s inability to support them financially. Therefore, within the fear of illness, deep anxiety about economic pressure is intertwined.
To address this series of concerns, the elderly can preventatively adopt an active lifestyle, such as maintaining a balanced diet, moderate exercise, and regular check-ups, to maintain physical health and reduce the risk of illness. Specifically, by maintaining a light, balanced diet, adhering to regular aerobic exercise like walking, tai chi, and actively seeking medical check-ups to ensure early detection and treatment of diseases, thus reducing the fear of illness and enjoying their later years.
