If I were to say “close your eyes and picture a college dorm,” what image would your mind paint for you? You’d probably visualize a pretty nondescript room with twin beds, posters on the wall, a desk with a computer sitting on it, etc. But what if I were to say “close your eyes and picture a person in middle age.” Or, “picture a person in their 70s.” Now what do you see?
For a lot of us, thinking about aging usually evokes images and beliefs related to loss. Loss of mobility, health, beauty, or of feeling care-free. These beliefs and images are called “schemas,” and they can have a very powerful impact on how we move through life. Sometimes these schemas can be useful; like when my dorm room schema pops in my head and reminds me to buy the right sized sheets before move-in day, for instance.
But what effects might these loss-heavy age-related schemas be having on us? Well, as Dr. Becca Levy details in her book “Breaking the Age Code,” research shows a significant relationship between such schemas and medical illnesses like high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s dementia, and heart disease (to name just a few). Simply put, those who endorsed more fatalistic beliefs about aging were statistically much more likely to experience actual health problems in older age.
In contrast, Dr. Levy found that those with more favorable attitudes towards aging were also more likely to recover from disability at a quicker rate, have better memory performance, and yes, even live longer. In other words, these individuals are living a self-fulfilling prophecy that is actually fulfilling!
How did they do it, you ask? According to Dr. Levy, this process involves three stages:
Developing a greater awareness of harmful aging schemas- as they exist in both ourselves and in our external environments.
Tracing these schemas to their original source: a society that conditions us to fear aging as a means of profit. ($75 wrinkle cream, anyone?)
Disrupting and replacing these beliefs the moment they pop into our heads
If this process sounds familiar to you, you might either already be a patient at CTW, or at the very least have read some of our previous blog entries. Because what Dr. Levy describes here is at the very heart of the work we do in our therapy sessions.
Together with our patients, CTW psychologists take time to unearth these schemas, explore their roots, and examine the vines they have grown. And if they are found to be the viscous, choking kind, we then work to apply some cognitive “weed killer,” so to speak. We attack them with relevant information (e.g., that it is possible to remain healthy and active as an older adult) and plant more nourishing beliefs (e.g., “being alive for longer gives me more time to explore the world and discover exciting new things about it”) in their place.
Just like actual weeds, these schemas of ours are often pesky and persistent. They sprout easily, demand regular intervention, and are impossible to prevent entirely. But that is no reason to let them grow wild and literally strangle the life out of an otherwise thriving existence. So if you are one of the many people out there who struggle to imagine themselves flourishing with age, perhaps this is your sign to get back in the garden and start digging.
You don’t have to do it alone, either. We are here to help. Contact us today to get started!