Will You Still Need Me?

by Browne-Miller, Angela

• ISBN13: 9780313353901
• ISBN10: 0313353905
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-04-09
• Publisher: Praeger Pub Text

Summary

Will You Still Need Me? is a poignant book organized around interviews with individuals of various ages who have responded to questions about ageing. The interviewees offer their unguarded thoughts about ageing with a significant other ¿ or alone. They reveal their self perceptions, their feelings about the future, their self-image as it relates to ageing, and their expectations and impressions of ageing itself. They also share their concerns that with ageing comes not only possible loneliness, but also worthlessness. Psychotherapist Angela Browne-Miller weaves the findings into a philosophical, research-based overview of cross-generational concerns and feelings about ageing. Her book opens a window into the hearts and minds of our parents, our peers, and our children as they look at the ageing process and at how individuals, society, and families treat ageing. Through the sensitive, up-close-and-personal, bird's-eye view of the people interviewed for this book, ageing unfolds into a deeply stirring experience, one to be understood by all.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Note: The Stories Herein Are Our Stories	p. xvii
Stories List	p. xix
Introduction	p. 1
Dan W., Age 59	p. 6
Touching The Tender Issue of Aging
Nona M., Age 27	p. 10
Millicent D., Age 30	p. 12
Andrea M., Age 34	p. 14
Burton G., Age 29	p. 16
Steven L., Age 32	p. 18
Sharon J., Age 39	p. 20
Commentary	p. 22
Growing Up and Up and Up	p. 24
When Is Getting Older Aging?	p. 26
The Desire Not to See Aging	p. 28
What Aging Is (Or Is It?)	p. 30
Companionship and the Prospect of Aging	p. 33
Being Alone Before Being Older
Esmirelda Y., Age 38	p. 38
Patricia V., Age 45	p. 40
Devin P., Age 39	p. 42
Greg T, Age 44	p. 44
Barbara H., Age 38	p. 46
Emily W., Age 47	p. 48
Jeff B. Age 45	p. 50
Commentary	p. 52
Midlife Looks at Aging	p. 54
Divorce and Being Alone	p. 57
Welcome to the Delicious Sandwich Generation Years	p. 59
Worklife, Career Loss, and Not Feeling Needed	p. 61
Empty Nests	p. 66
Social Patterns, Relationships, and Aging
Peter S., Age 49	p. 72
Katy B., Age 45	p. 74
George L., Age 51	p. 76
Mark R., Age 56	p. 78
Sally S., Age 52	p. 80
Sandra M., Age 55	p. 82
Geraldo H., Age 54	p. 84
Commentary	p. 86
The Aging Self within Surrounding Networks	p. 88
Families, Patterns, Networks, and Aging	p. 91
Intimate Partner Relationship Patterning and Aging	p. 94
Patterns of Behavior that Continue	p. 98
Hollowing to Patterns	p. 101
Aging On Aging
Marcia G., Age 64	p. 108
Linda B., Age 62	p. 110
Tom M., Age 56	p. 112
Anton Y., Age 58	p. 114
Ben D., Age 66	p. 116
Jane Z., Age 60	p. 118
Cristie S., Age 60	p. 120
Commentary	p. 122
Mind-Brain Living through Aging	p. 124
Social Isolation in Aging	p. 127
Loneliness and Aging	p. 130
Living Environments, Health, and Well-Being in Aging	p. 133
Older Persons' Thoughts on Social Contact	p. 135
The Mind, Learning, and Mental Functioning in Aging
Arle H., Age 65	p. 138
Arisha T., Age 65	p. 140
Sten O., Age 68	p. 141
Carla B., Age 67	p. 142
Giselda., Age 73	p. 144
Rene M., Age 78	p. 145
Walt U., Age 68	p. 146
Commentary	p. 148
The Brain Does Age	p. 149
Inner Thinkings and Age	p. 153
Problem-Solving Strategies and Aging	p. 156
Rethinking through Things and Mental Aging	p. 158
Learning to Learn Again, in Later Years	p. 160
Will You Still Need You?
Stanton Q., Age 89	p. 168
Ida J., Age 84	p. 170
Louis E., Age 87	p. 111
Derrick G., Age 80	p. 174
Lisa Lynn C., Age 77	p. 176
Commentary	p. 178
Youth for Sale: The Distraction of Anti-Aging Consumption	p. 179
Thinking Positive: Prescription for Aging Well?	p. 181
Longevity, Spirit, and Quality of Life	p. 184
Addiction to Reality	p. 187
You Can Make It Through	p. 189
Experiencing Aging in New Ways
Toward a New Paradigm for Aging	p. 196
A New Adventure in the Life Cycle	p. 199
Recommendations for an Emerging Social Force: Older People and Those Who Will One Day Be Older People	p. 201
Appendices
Interview Questionnaire	p. 208
Problem-Solving Steps Explained	p. 211
Trauma, Aging, and Closure	p. 214
Long-Term Intimate Partner Violence and Trauma Moving into Aging	p. 217
Emotional Abuse and Sadomasochism in Aging	p. 219
Elder Living Environment Checklist Suggestions with Sample Elder Living Environment Checklist	p. 221
Resources	p. 224
Religious and Spiritual Perspectives on Aging and Resources	p. 230
Bibliography	p. 233
Index	p. 243
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