Just turned 50 and feeling morbid

Anabelle Life expectancy is currently well over 80, so why do you think life ends at 70? In fact all the pension crisis derives from the fact that we are living longer and longer and more and more of that time in good health.

Wait until you are 80 and then begin to get morbid. In the meanwhile - well I am 76, fit healthy and loving my interesting and lively life.

I’m well aware of that Mawand I suspect that the OP is too - but (for some of us) turning fifty has brought with it things that remind us of our own mortality and while I don’t believe for a minute the OP was trying to offend anyone I don’t think she deserves to be on the receiving end of some of the posts on here.

As for ‘keeping busy’ to keep your mind off things - ha! Nearly 20 more years of working full time ahead of me, ferrying a 12 year old to things and dealing (to a point) with 2 university students, voluntary work, hobbies, 2 elderly parents at opposite ends of the country to deal with and trying to keep up with friends - us 50 year olds are actually already quite busy.

Gransnet is for over fifties - ie people who are 50 and over. If you feel that’s too young then complain to GN admin

Exactly, Sirchenjin - “and over” - so it stands to reason that many of us are in that demographic.
It is not nice to be told that somebody is feeling depressed because she doesn’t expect to live to our age!
Of course 50 year olds have their worries.
I lost my mother when I was 50 and it was chastening to feel I was inching my way to being the “senior” one in the family, without the cushion of the generation above me.
But you must see that those who are older, even much older than the much- quoted “three score years and ten” do not need reminding of our mortality- life generally does that for us.

Get out of the house and find yourself something to do that'll take your mind of 'being 50'!

Just look at all the inspirational 'older women' that are around these days - you've got y-e-a-r-s ahead of you, but it's up to YOU how you spend them.

I work in a charity shop that is very busy - the vast majority of our volunteers are over 65, with many of them over 80!

I've always wanted to join the U3A - but just can't find the time to 'fit it in'!

Has your family perhaps had a history of people dying around the age of 70? If so, you need to remember that 'that was then' - you are living NOW. Times have changed - lifestyles have moved on and so has the world of medicine.

Life is GOOD - c'mon, make the most of it on !

Gransnet is for over fifties - ie people who are 50 and over. If you feel that’s too young then complain to GN admin. Those of us who are fifty might have different worries or concerns to those on here who are older, but we manage not to tell them to piss off. It’s not a competition to see who has the most to worry about or be upset about - everyone on here has their own story, and it would be nice if we could recognise that and be supportive or at least offer constructive suggestions that aren’t rude, dismissive or patronising.

to you and MrMerlot - infections are such a worry. Paw came out with C Diff which he certainly didn’t have when he was first admitted

I’m 63 and loving life! I had a TIA at 59 but I’m determined to live longer than my parents who both passed away at 72! I do lots of walking and it helps my mental health very much. Give it a go!

Exactly, Maw. The OP wouldn't be out of place on Mumsnet but on here??

My Dad was fifty when he died so two much loved people in my family didn't get a chance to worry about 20 years

DH is in hospital with another life threatening bug. The second in 18 months so I'd better stay off this thread or I might say something that will get me banned.

Ta, Gonegirl for saying it for me.

The grammar in that last post may be slightly suspect.

Read the "Elderly" thread Sr69. I'm the only one there feeling knackered. Everyone else is feeling like spring chickens!

I suppose I thoughtOP was possibly being tactless to moan to a forum aimed at the “older” generation about feeling “morbid at 50” especially adding that she may not have more than another 20 years left when it might have occurred to her to realise that most of us are in that age group. ?
A bit like moaning about the price of smart shoes to a group of disabled people or amputees.

Can't read anymore posts as I'm going to be 70 in January and they are making me feel really depressed .
Never gave it a thought until I read these comments.

And the very same to you

? piss orf

I’m perfectly well aware of what the OP is about. I care not about your stuffs and lack thereof.

Sirchenjin the OP is obviously about getting old. At fifty. So I don't give a stuff what you think.

When Iwas 50 I was thankful still be alive my dad didn't make it Make the most of life while you have it x

I feel that Annabelle01’s comment may not have been given very much validity here. Maybe I have been unlucky but out of 6 close friends, 3 of us have had cancer. We have survived, so far so good! but others were unfortunately not so lucky - I have another friend whose husband died recently in his 50’s and a brother in law who died in his early 60’s and yet another friend’s, brother who died in their 50s too. All in the past year. So I don’t think it is an unreasonable thing at all to think about as we get into our 50’s
I do think though that if you feel your worries are taking over your life and affecting the quality of your life then you should definitely seek help. Health anxiety is a very real thing, but with help you can most definitely put it on the back burner. I love the quote ‘Ageing is a privilege denied to many’ and we all need to make the very best of our remaining years however long we have. Xx

Cheer up. My 50s were some of the best years of my life ! Take every day as it comes. You could live to be 100. In fact I read in a newspaper at the weekend that 1 in 3 of us now have that chance and that optimists live longer. Anyway , 50 is the new 40. Enjoy.

As a fifty year old who is feeling a bit out of sorts and who can completely sympathise with the OP I don’t think being told (not told) to pull yourself together is very helpful. I lost a friend in her forties (she left 4 children) and have experienced others dying at a much younger age. Couple that with family moving on, still having young children, being carers for elderly relatives, still having 17 working years ahead of you ( or longer if the Govt gets its way) and it can feel a bit rubbish at times. It’s an open forum and people are allowed to vent/moan/ whatever about all sorts of things.

Merlot it must have been painful to read OP.
I agree with Gonegirl

Oh Merlot.

This OP wasn't worth posting.

Suppose "pull yerself together" wouldn't be allowed on here.

Merlotgran, Im awfully sorry.

Our daughter died in May - a week before her 50th birthday so why not try counting your blessings?

Annabel01 my DF died at age 49 so that was a difficult year to get through, hit 50 & still alive . Took Early Retirement as DH had retired (he was 65 & in poor health).

At 56 we downsized & moved to a completely new area, sadly I was widowed at 57.

At 59 I downsized again, my final move I hope. I live nearer my DD & DGSs. I've had to make new friends as again I'm in a new area. I joined a couple of Meet Up groups, new activities, weekends away to places I've never visited.

I'm 64 & this year I met up with a friend who I've chatted to for about 3 years (we have a mutual friend). I've now gained a new interest in life & made more new friends. I'm open to any new experience.

My health is not the best but I'm determined to live life to the full, definitely live each day as if it's my last. Enjoy very new experience, new friend, new place to visit.

I hope my genes are inherited from my DM's side of the family, DM is 90, many of the women on the paternal, my Granddad's sisters lived into their 90s so I'm looking forward to at least 25 more years, hope to see Great grand Children