What have you become afraid of as you have gotten older?

[AliceMcK]

Heights.

They never bothered me when I was younger, I travelled and visited towers with glass floors, I never got to jump out of a plane but always wanted to. I did The Nevis bungee jump when I think it was the world’s highest, multiple vertical (slingshot) bungies, paragliding, I remember once being lifted up by a crane and pulling a cord to release me and 2 strangers, we free fell then swung in the air. I was absolutely that annoying person who swung the big wheel carriage when we were at the top.

Now the thought of even a ferris wheel freaks me out. I went on the small one at Legoland Windsor a few years ago felt so sick, I couldn’t look at anything. My DDs wanted to go on the Liverpool Wheel the other week and I felt so bad because I’ve always talked about cool things I’ve done, but I couldn’t do it. I can’t even go on high theme park rides any more. When I was younger, talking right into my 30s, the bigger the better.

I don’t know what has happened to me, I still love the thought of jumping out of a plane but I know I’d be a quivering mess if I tried.

Anyone else have sudden fears they never had, other than the immortal ever lasting sleep that is?

Getting dementia.
We have some family members who have it and are dying a very slow death.

I have developed a weird health anxiety since having my daughter mainly about dying before she is grown up and settled in her own life.

The thought of getting ill, relying on the nhs and having to stay in a hospital kind of repulses me. Hospitals in particular. I’ve only stayed in one once when I had my daughter and never again.

im very focused on staying fit and healthy, im not worried about dying in the long term but being infirm, in pain or mentally incapacitated worries me a lot. Personally I would get a lot of comfort knowing their was a dignitas style option for me at some point than ending up wasting away in a care home (another fear!).

Those big theme park rides. When I was young the rides were smaller but I loved the big wheel or waltzers now I go and I'm terrified about getting on anything. I just stand with everyone's bags and phones. I even got asked to watch a random stranger's baby in a pram so a young Mum could go on.

War
AI
Not being in control of my own death
Animal welfare but that's not new for me

Heights too. But not all heights. I'm fine with being in buildings, or rides. But walking along cliff tops and I'm suddenly a quivering mess. Never used to be like it. Even just a few year ago.

Actually, I have put been to a theme park for a few years, so I hope I'm ok, as I'm going next week!

Cows. I was chased by one whilst pregnant.
Driving. It makes me anxious.
Sparring. I'm crap.
NHS. Not getting treatment.

Heights. I blame the menopause, I used to be fine with them.

Flying in a plane.

Driving at night. Energy efficient street lights are too dim and new cars LEDS are too bright.

And dying. Always getting panicky about that.

I see older friends and my in laws starting to get anxious about stuff like drinking abroad and am really trying to keep doing stuff so I don’t…

but even driving at home, don’t know if I’m more aware of mine and others mortality…or seen to many crashes…but I do worry more.

The gap between the platform and the train. Terrifies me every time but I make myself use trains regularly. I'm not going to stop going into London to meet friends etc so I have to take a deep breath each time and hope I'll make it!

Risk.

Small spaces, I never used to be claustrophobic.
Losing my hearing , speech, ability to communicate
Losing my mobility
Everything connected with getting old
Actually dying - which sounds ridiculous but it's like being more aware that you're in the last stage of your life.

Fortunately for my mental health I'm reasonably good at not thinking too much about these things.

The state of the NHS.
Getting sick (seem to become ill for longer now).
Lack of resources (water will be a problem in future).
Permanent injury. (All activities that can lead to it, so have become quite anxious as a result). I think this was triggered by a recent accident of falling across slippery decking. (I fractured a thumb, sprained an ankle, pulled all the ligaments and muscles in the opposite leg and bruised my knee and thigh in the other. I could hardly walk for weeks. Worst bruising of my life and it took seconds!!!)

Dying. I have a dodgy heart and spent the whole night on a chair in a&e last week. It was a total shitshow. Still trying to see a cardiologist. Every time I get another heart pain I wonder if this is it. Expecting to be back in a&e long before my 2 week wait for the nurse led clinic is up. Welcome to our NHS.

Night driving , well not afraid as such but prefer to avoid it

Doctors/NHS.

Funnily enough I have conquered my fears about driving and flying. So there is hope!

Definitely AI, smart phones and social media.

I have two young daughters and I am almost thankful that the littlest one has additional needs and is unlikely to access these platforms like a NT child / young adult.

Climate change. Food scarcity as a result.

Heights and flying for me. Now rely on diazapam to get me through take off and landing.

Ŕunning out of money
Health
Losing people i care about

@SirChenjins You have the easiest fear to cope with, I think. I will bet my fortune that you or your family are not going to be devoured by orcas!

Yes, feel really sad that I now have anxiety about things since my mid/late 20s that I never had when I was younger... in fact my fears below are all things I LOVED... why is that?! Life grinding us down?!

• flying
• swimming in sea (i'm a strong swimmer but now scared of sea creatures?!)
• heights / fairgrounds rides
• mice/ rodents

Mine is dying and my dog thinking that I left him.

Heights here too. I'm glad I did things like a tandem skydive and paragliding when I was younger, there's absolutely no way I could do them now. Sad that I never got up in a hot air balloon though (there was a trip planned once that didn't come off) - the thought of it makes me feel physically sick.