Psychological characteristics of older people (senile age)

Old age crisis - what is it?

In psychology, the crisis of old age is the age period associated with the transition from maturity to old age. The word “crisis” itself has an interesting explanation. It means a turning point or sharp turn that leads to an improvement or deterioration in life. It turns out that the crisis of old age is a time of adaptation to new circumstances, to one’s age and changed living conditions.

Old age is conventionally divided into 3 stages:

60-75 years - aging;
75-90 years old - old age;
from 90 years and older - longevity.

They are otherwise called early, middle and extreme old age, respectively. A person is already retiring, receiving a new social status, looking for other activities, since most often he cannot work. Although there are those who continue to work for several more years. It is worth noting that the boundaries of these periods are indicated approximately. In old age they are blurred.

Each of the above stages of aging has its own characteristics:

In early old age, overcoming the crisis of old age is not difficult. Therefore, it is not considered critical. This is a kind of continuation of late maturity, when a person has already realized himself both in the profession and in the family.
Middle old age is akin to adolescence in adolescence. A person reconsiders values and priorities, looks at the past years differently, and realizes that the end of life has begun. Psychologists consider this period critical because it is associated with depression, an acute sense of uselessness and loneliness, and loss of any interests. In especially severe cases, suicidal tendencies appear.
If the personal crisis is successfully overcome, extreme old age or longevity occurs. This period is associated with senile dementia. It is rare for people over the age of 90 to boast a clear mind and the ability to reflect. The main characteristics of this period are: lack of fear of death, infantilism, egocentrism, childish spontaneity and a tendency to fantasize.

It is difficult to say exactly what a person will be like during a crisis. One thing can be said - in old age his personal characteristics will sharpen. Introverts experience this time the most difficult.

How to survive a crisis

Old age is a period of structuring and transferring life experience, finding hobbies and being interested in grandchildren. Communication in old age is mainly built around adult children and grandchildren, and the circle of contacts narrows.

In old age, the main crisis is the crisis of individual existence and identity. Signs of old age are noticed earlier by people around them than by the subject himself. Physiological aging is not recognized for a long time, as it occurs gradually and goes unnoticed. The awareness of aging can become unexpected, for example, when meeting a peer or childhood friend (mirror effect). This realization is often shocking.

To successfully overcome the crisis, you need to realize and acknowledge the changes in the body and create an integral way of life and Ego: past, present and near future. You can maintain personal integrity only by accepting aging, the new “I”, the thought of death and finding a new business, maintaining social contacts with the younger generation. It is important and interesting for old people to share their life experiences. They need a sense of belonging in life.

The psychological tasks of this age include:

adaptation to psychological and physical changes;
healthy perception of old age (destruction of negative stereotypes);
correct distribution and filling of time, determination of the purpose of future life;
adaptation to changes in social roles and statuses, search for new roles;
resisting emotional exhaustion, maintaining emotional flexibility, striving for emotional enrichment in other areas;
search for new forms of behavior, development of psychological flexibility.

It is important not to stop living an active life. A productive concept for overcoming a crisis is to direct attention and interest to a new business, establish friendly relationships, maintain control over the environment, prioritize a calm, contemplative life, regular cognitive activity and mental activity. It is important to continue to strive for self-education and creative self-realization.

For example, many modern pensioners are actively mastering the Internet and self-realization through it, or, in the old fashioned way, they unite in real interest clubs. It is necessary to find means of prolonging an active and fulfilling life, but they are always subjective.

Classification

American psychologist Erik Erikson believes that the crisis of old age is the eighth crisis in a person’s life. Its main feature is an acute psychosocial conflict, during which the individual completely rethinks his life.

The crisis of old age and its psychological content are of a purely individual nature. But Erickson identified 3 methods of adaptation that are most common:

Happy old age. It comes for those people who coped with the crisis almost painlessly. They are distinguished by the presence of willpower, a balanced character and a strong nervous system. They can safely be called harmonious individuals who accept with dignity what happens to them. These people still look at the world around them with interest, remember the positive moments of life, and treat their age with love. In addition, they experience peace and are not afraid of death.
Unhappy old age. Affects people who have distressing chronic illnesses. They are characterized by anxiety, lack of self-confidence, touchiness, vulnerability, and lack of meaning in life. Very often, patients think about suicide or ask for euthanasia. In most cases, they remain alone, feel helpless, and again and again remember and experience past grievances. Because of this, the crisis of old age is prolonged.
Psychopathological old age. With such aging, it is almost impossible to cope with the crisis. It is observed in people who suffer from depression or hypochondria, neuroses, and senile dementia. With their own hands they create problems and conflict situations for themselves and those around them. They are also afraid of being left alone, without the support of relatives in a nursing home. The main feature of this type of old age is hatred of age.

What are the psychological characteristics of older people?

The psychology of an elderly person is characterized by a conservative attitude towards the world around him. In this regard, a person is more difficult to adapt to changing moral standards, and therefore is increasingly inclined to criticize “new manners”.

Among the variety of life positions of older people, five main ones can be distinguished:

The “constructive” position is characteristic of calm people who, in previous age periods, were distinguished by a cheerful disposition and satisfaction with life. Such qualities persist with age. They have a normal attitude towards old age and death. Without making a tragedy out of their own age and various illnesses, people with this position communicate well with others and provide them with help. A person with such a position successfully lives through the final stage of life.
A “dependent” position is observed in older people, who were previously distinguished by distrust of themselves, had a passive life position and weak will. As they age, they demand help and seek recognition, and if they do not find this, then they choose the image of an offended and unhappy person.
A “defensive” position is characteristic of people who are sometimes called “thick-skinned.” They are characterized by isolation, reluctance to accept anyone's help and hidden feelings. Hatred of old age forces them to continue an active lifestyle and leads to a reluctance to give up work.
“Hostility towards the world” is manifested by “angry people” who tend to blame society and their environment for all their own real and imagined failures. Elderly people with this position are characterized by increased suspicion, distrust of others and aggressiveness. They also experience a high degree of aversion to old age and strive to continue their professional activities.
“Hostility towards yourself and your life.” This position is occupied by people with a depressive character, devoid of interests, they are prone to fatalism. Elderly people of this type have a heightened feeling of loneliness and “uselessness.” For them, their own life seems unsuccessful, and the fact of approaching death is regarded by them as deliverance from their misfortunes.

Read material on the topic: Elderly parents

The process of mental aging is characterized by four groups of possible reactions:

Reactions to changed bodily sensations and subjective interpretation of one’s sensations: the capabilities of one’s own body are reduced - movements slow down, the reaction to various stimuli is delayed, and so on.

Reactions to the transformation of mental functions, as well as the experience of these changes of a subjective nature: short-term memory deteriorates, difficulties appear with concentration of attention, with the analysis of life problems, the speed of mental reaction and the ability to adapt decreases. All these manifestations of transformation of mental functions cause a decrease in self-esteem, a decrease in interests and communication.

Reactions to what is happening in the social sphere, changes in the field of social connections:

connection is maintained with professional activity, which has been the main one throughout life. This happens indirectly through obtaining information from special sources, or, in the opposite direction, through writing memoirs and professional articles;
the sphere of interests is narrowed due to the fact that the area of professional topics falls out of ordinary life. In everyday communication, only family problems, television news and other events not related to previous work activity are discussed;
health care comes to the fore. The most significant topics for conversation are medications, diseases, treatment options, and so on;
the meaning of life becomes its preservation. The circle of social communications includes relatives, doctors, social service employees;
everything is aimed at supporting life - the emotional aspect of communication disappears.

Reactions caused by thoughts about impending death.

People perceive the fact of death differently. Differences in its perception are associated with factors such as temperament, cultural environment, and religious beliefs.

In addition to the psychological characteristics inherent in a person in old age, there are also psychopathological ones , which occur in 6 stages:

Stage 1: memories from a past life remain truly important, and real events are relegated to the background;

Stage 2: memory is constantly deteriorating;

Stage 3: an objective assessment of real life is lost;

Stage 4: helplessness becomes the cause of apathy towards the world, which subsequently leads to disorientation in current events.

Stage 5: age-related insensitivity of consciousness appears, control over muscle functions is lost.

Stage 6: a state of global helplessness sets in.

The psychology of older people is individual in nature. The characteristics of old age depend on hereditary factors, somatic diseases, severe psychological stress and other factors.

Age-related or physiological characteristics in older people

With age, the skin of an elderly person becomes thin. This process is more pronounced on the palms, feet, around the joints and in the area of protruding bones. Reduced sweat and sebum secretion contributes to dry skin and leads to loss of elasticity, the appearance of wrinkles and large folds. Subcutaneous fat tissue rapidly loses its volume. All these processes cause increased trauma to the skin, the appearance of ulcers and poor healing.

Hair changes over time under the influence of immunity, genetics, climatic and environmental factors. Hair becomes thinner, loses its color and thins. Bone mass also decreases. The joint elements and discs of the spine become thinner. This leads to constant pain.

The amount of muscle tissue decreases, which becomes both a cause and a consequence of decreased physical activity. As a result, performance also decreases. A feeling of fatigue that quickly arises prevents you from performing your usual activities.

Gait is disturbed . An older person's pace slows down and becomes less stable. The time of support on both feet increases, which gives the gait a shuffling effect. Clumsiness appears in movements.

Lung tissue loses its elasticity. Reducing the stroke of the diaphragm leads to the fact that the lungs do not expand completely. Shortness of breath appears. A decrease in bronchial obstruction reduces the drainage function of the bronchi, so older people are at risk of pneumonia.

With age, the functioning of the heart muscle deteriorates. This is especially reflected in its contractility. During physical activity, it is worse at pushing blood to all parts of the body. Increased fatigue is caused by the fact that tissues do not receive enough oxygen from the blood. The result of this process is a decrease in the physical capabilities of older people and increased fatigue.

Causes of the elderly crisis

Any personal crisis is characterized by the inability to live as before. The individual changes both mentally and physically. Psychologists have identified a number of factors that contribute to these changes:

A person leaves his job, turning from a respected employee into a practically powerless member of society, most often receiving a meager pension.
Retirement occurs, and as a result, social status changes.
Activity gives way to inaction and boredom.
Society considers older people to have spent their full potential. It's like they're missing out on life.
There is a lot of free time, but there is nowhere to spend it. The frantic rhythm of life has slowed down to a disgraceful pace.
The circle of contacts is narrowing. Children grow up and move away, start their own families, colleagues forget, friends get sick and die.
Unhappy thoughts lead to depression, a feeling of uselessness and hopelessness.
Diseases are getting worse, physical health is rapidly deteriorating.
The person realizes that he has become dependent on other people. And who wants to be a burden?

E. Erikson, mentioned above, believes that the crisis of old age is a consequence of the discrepancy between goals and desires and the way life went. During this period, a person analyzes the years he has lived, looks at what he has achieved, whether he received what he needed. And often the analysis does not show anything good. Realizing that the past cannot be changed, the elderly person first experiences confusion and then disappointment.

Definition of old age

By the simplest definition, human old age occurs when the body loses its ability to reproduce. But such a conservative definition is considered outdated and extremely inaccurate. The reproductive ages of men and women vary enormously .

The limit of women's reproductive capabilities, as a rule, is 40-45 years, and for men, the reproductive age is pushed back to 70-80 years, and with a healthy lifestyle, even later.

It can be noted that old age for each person, depending on living conditions, physical and psychological factors and characteristics, occurs at different times for each person.

Old age is characterized by irreversible processes of degeneration of the body, significant changes in the mental perception of the world and society, and also changes in a person’s social status . According to this, international organizations define the beginning of old age for a human individual in the range from 60 to 70 years.

Also, some researchers divide old age into a number of stages. According to the most popular gradation, the period from 50 to 75 years is called old age, the age from 75 to 90 years is called old age, and the age over 90 years is called longevity.

Symptoms of the crisis

Mental and physiological processes occurring in the body slow down. It becomes more and more difficult for an elderly person to cope even with simple actions.

Speed reaction

Perhaps the most important sign of an old age crisis. The nerve impulse moves more slowly, and the processing of information entering the brain slows down. E. Ya. Sternberg, who founded the school of gerontopsychiatrists, found that reduced mental activity leads to a narrowing of perception. As a result, problems with concentration begin. The mental state also worsens due to decreased tone and limited mobility.

Memory

Legends can be made about memory surprises. But in more than 90% of older people it remains in excellent condition. Yes, it may be more difficult for them to remember what is happening now. However, they remember the past very well. Surely you have heard the stories of veterans about the Great Patriotic War. Have you noticed how accurately and in chronological order they describe those events? At the same time, they mention the names and surnames of their colleagues and name settlements.

Four main types of aging

The first category includes people who, having ceased active professional activity, participate in social life and do not stop communicating with relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Such old age is usually called “creative”, since it helps to protect yourself from negative thoughts and live a bright life in old age.

The second type is typical for older people who direct all their energy to maintaining material wealth. Accumulating savings or increasing capital, self-education, gaining additional knowledge in a new industry. Such people may begin to engage in activities or take up hobbies that they did not have time for in their youth. Older people are socially and psychologically adjusted.

The third category primarily refers to and characterizes women. In old age, this type of person pays all his attention to family and organizing everyday life. Thanks to strong involvement, it is possible to avoid psychological worries and blues. But in comparison with the first categories, life satisfaction may be at a lower level.

Elderly people belonging to the fourth category primarily pay attention to health. For such people, their own well-being remains the meaning of life, which brings them moral satisfaction. The negative side is the regular exaggeration of any, even the most minor, illness.

Despite the different conditions of people in the listed types, life in old age in any of the options can be called psychologically prosperous. However, there are negative examples of older people being active. They can be expressed in aggression, grumpiness, dissatisfaction with life or position in society. Such people often make claims to everyone around them and engage in self-criticism, which only worsens their general condition.

A person’s attitude towards his own aging:

Normal. Elderly people, who objectively assess the condition and capabilities of the body, adequately perceive the fact of aging.
Dismissive. It may be a consequence of unfounded optimism, which is caused by an erroneous assessment of the characteristics of the aging of the body. Due to a distorted view of reality, older people show disdain for old age. In reality, such behavior hides general weakness and malaise.
Negative. Pensioners belonging to this category strive to drive away thoughts of old age. They do not pay attention to the changes that occur in their body. This approach can result in hyper-reactivity due to the desire to maintain the outgoing status.
Gerontophobic. A person in this state is afraid of impending old age. He realizes that he is exaggerating its danger, but is unable to control negative thoughts. Such people tend to pay less attention to social goals. They begin to actively demonstrate their own helplessness.
Tragic. Elderly people have a negative attitude towards the period of survival and consider life uninteresting. This behavior is often influenced by psychological trauma, which prevents an adequate attitude towards natural aging.
Calm. People, realizing the onset of old age, enjoy the moment. They are completely satisfied with their new position, so they begin to live for themselves.

Stages of development of the old age crisis

Each person experiences a crisis differently. Individuals with an active lifestyle and correct self-esteem may not even notice it. Those who suffer from self-doubt will feel all its manifestations. And if measures are not taken in time, laziness, apathy, and then depression appear.

In its development, the crisis of old age goes through 3 stages:

Reassessment of values, new acquaintance with the changed inner self.
Awareness of one's own helplessness, deterioration of physical health, loss of strength.
Awareness of the inevitability of aging.

The manifestations of individual stages have individual characteristics for a particular person.

Personality types in old age

Psychologists identify several personality types characteristic of older people:

Constructive. He is distinguished by his balance, optimistic outlook on life, critical attitude towards himself, and high self-esteem. An older person does not become depressed about retirement, but instead makes plans for the future.
Dependent. Such individuals adapt well to new circumstances. They are family-oriented, prone to subordination, and have no ambitions either professionally or personally.
Protective. A person almost never shows emotions, is straightforward in his actions, and always speaks the truth and to the point. Under any circumstances, strives to be independent.
Self-incriminating. This type of personality is characterized by passivity, belief in predestination, depression, and reluctance to solve problems. A person looks at the world through a negative lens. He is so lonely that he considers death the solution to all difficulties.

There is also an aggressive-accusatory personality type. It is extremely difficult for such people to cope with the crisis of old age. They always blame others for everything, are overly impulsive, suspicious, and have an inadequate perception of themselves and the world around them. In addition, they deny the very fact of aging and are very afraid of dying.

How to care for elderly people?

To prevent an elderly person from feeling disadvantaged and lonely, a number of rules must be followed when caring for him. Features of communication with old people:

Do not show harsh criticism, avoid any disputes.
Listen to an older person to the end if he is passionate about something. At the same time, you can carefully be interested in individual details, but try not to interrupt.
Do not prohibit the old man from communicating with friends, but even encourage it.
You can't force old people to do something against their will. In this case, you need to use methods of persuasion or the help of relatives.
Anxieties and experiences should be spoken out loud.

Sleep rules for older people:

The room must be completely silent.
The bed should be moderately soft and comfortable.
Choose a warm but light blanket.
Daytime naps should be avoided if possible and replaced with any exciting activities.
Dinner should take place 3 hours before bedtime. Strong tea and coffee should be excluded from the diet.
Before going to bed, it is advisable to walk along the street.
Before going to bed, ventilate the rooms.

Nutrition rules:

Limit the consumption of fatty meat, cream, butter, fish caviar, and sausage.
Consume a minimum amount of salt and sugar.
The diet should include foods with polyunsaturated fatty acids.
It is recommended to eat more foods containing magnesium and potassium.
Eat more vegetables and fruits to get fiber into your body.
Eat in small portions 5 times a day.

In addition, consult a doctor so that he can prescribe vitamin complexes and useful microelements.

Differences between the old age crisis in men and women

The first difference lies in the time frame. According to the WHO European Bureau, old age for women begins at 55 years, and for men at 61.

The second difference relates to the purpose of the two sexes. A woman is the keeper of the home. She is usually not subject to serious demands regarding professional and social activities. In the case of men, the opposite is true. They are assigned the role of breadwinners of the family, breadwinners. Therefore, their career almost always comes first. Retirement is perceived as a personal tragedy. Because of it, the crisis of old age is intensifying.

The third difference concerns loneliness. It is easier for a woman to adapt to him. She spends her free time taking care of her family, home, grandchildren, or communicating with friends. It's more difficult for men. They often get caught up in thinking about the meaning of life, their purpose, etc. They constantly analyze whether they did the right thing in a given situation.

Psychology of elderly and senile people

The period of gerontogenesis (ageing period), according to the international classification, begins at 60 years for men and 55 years for women and has three gradations: elderly, senile and centenarians. Let us recall that there are various classifications of ontogenesis, including classifications of involutionary periods.

Isolating the period of ontogenesis and studying the problems of aging are associated with a complex of socio-economic, biological and psychological reasons. One of the demographic signs on planet Earth is the aging of its population (especially in highly developed countries of the world). It is determined by many factors, the main one of which is a clear trend towards a reduction in the birth rate in developed countries. The idea of the age of 50-60 years as the age of old age has sunk into oblivion. Mortality at this age today, in the 20th century, has fallen compared to the end of the 18th century. four times; Mortality rates among 70-year-olds have recently halved. For a modern person, after retirement, the reality of living on average another 15-20 years is quite obvious. What could a person’s life be like during this period? Decay, decline, illness, infirmity, loss of ability to work, etc.? Or, on the contrary, the opportunity to lead a full (taking into account the changed realities), interesting life: to work to the best of one’s ability, to try to be needed by one’s loved ones and friends, accepting one’s own old age as another stage of life, which has its own joys and its own problems (as and at previous stages of life)?

The aging process is a genetically programmed process, accompanied by certain age-related changes in the body. During the period of human life after maturity, a gradual weakening of the body’s activity occurs. Older people are not as strong and are not able to withstand prolonged physical or nervous stress as in their younger years; their total energy reserves become less and less; the vitality of body tissues is lost, which is closely related to a decrease in their fluid content. As a result of this dehydration, older people's joints become stiff. If this occurs in the bone joints of the chest, breathing becomes difficult. Age-related dehydration leads to dry skin, it becomes more sensitive to irritation and sunburn, itching appears in places, the skin loses softness and takes on a matte tint. Dry skin, in turn, prevents sweating, which regulates surface body temperature. Due to weakened sensitivity of the nervous system, older and older people react more slowly to changes in external temperature, and are therefore more susceptible to the adverse effects of heat and cold. Changes in the sensitivity of various sense organs occur, the external manifestations of which are expressed in a weakened sense of balance, uncertainty in gait, loss of appetite, the need for brighter illumination of space, etc. Here are some examples: people over 50 need twice as much light, and over 80 – three times; In a 20-year-old person, the wound heals on average in 31 days, in a 40-year-old person in 55 days, in a 60-year-old person in 100 days, and then progressively.

Many studies indicate aging of the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, nervous and other systems, i.e. about the negative changes occurring in the body during the process of its involution. At the same time, materials are accumulating that lead scientists to a deeper understanding of aging as an extremely complex, internally contradictory process, which is characterized not only by a decrease, but also by an increase in the activity of the body. There is a noticeable strengthening and specialization of the action of the law of heterochrony (unevenness); as a result of this, the functioning of some systems of the body is maintained for a longer period and even improved, and in parallel with this, an accelerated involution of other systems occurs at different rates, which is explained by the role and significance that they play in basic, vital processes. For example, changes in the brainstem are more significant and significant than in the cerebellum in both hemispheres. The more complex a person’s nervous structure, the more opportunities it has for its preservation. During the period of gerontogenesis, the processes of excitation and inhibition weaken, especially internal inhibition. However, it has been experimentally shown that in young and old people - from 20 to 104 years old - conditioned motor reflexes change differently, depending on reinforcement. The defensive conditioned reflex turns out to be the most preserved in comparison with the food one. The indicative-exploratory reflex to the appearance of pictures with different contents is developed quickly at the age of 20-65 and persists for a long time; after 68 years it is produced, but is fragile, etc. With age, primarily the inhibitory process and the mobility of nervous processes age, and the closing function suffers less. In addition, all changes during aging are individual in nature. There are people who, until old age, retain a very high latent (hidden) time of speech reaction; the difference between better and worse can be 20 times.

The complex and contradictory nature of human aging as an individual is associated with quantitative changes and qualitative restructuring of biological structures, including neoplasms. The body adapts to new conditions; in contrast to aging, adaptive functional systems develop; different systems of the body are activated, which preserves its vital activity and allows one to overcome the destructive (destructive, negative) phenomena of aging. All this allows us to believe that the period of late ontogenesis is a new stage in the development and specific action of the general laws of ontogenesis, heterochrony and structure formation. Scientists have proven that there are various ways to increase the biological activity of different structures of the body (polarization, redundancy, compensation, design), which ensure its overall performance after the end of the reproductive period.

Along with this, there is an increasing need to strengthen conscious control and regulation of biological processes. This is done with the help of the emotional and psychomotor sphere of a person. After all, it is well known that a certain training system can improve respiratory function, blood circulation and muscle performance in older people. The central mechanism of conscious regulation is speech, the importance of which increases significantly during the period of gerontogenesis.

Various kinds of changes in a person as an individual that occur in old age and senility are aimed at updating the potential, reserve capabilities accumulated in the body during the period of growth, maturity and formed during late ontogenesis. At the same time, the participation of the individual in the preservation of the individual organization and the regulation of its further development during the period of gerontogenesis (including the possibility of neoplasms) should be strengthened.

According to research by domestic and foreign scientists, the heterogeneous nature of the aging process is also inherent in such human psychophysiological functions as sensation, perception, thinking, memory, etc. When examining memory in people aged 70-90 years, the following was discovered: mechanical imprinting especially suffers; Logical memory is best preserved; figurative memory weakens more than semantic memory, but at the same time it is preserved better than mechanical imprinting; the basis of strength in old age is internal semantic connections; The leading type of memory becomes logical.

Older and older people do not form a monolithic group; they are to the same extent heterogeneous and complex as people in adolescence, adolescence, young adulthood, adulthood, maturity. Further changes during the period of gerontogenesis depend on the degree of maturity of a particular person as an individual and subject of activity. There is numerous data on the preservation of high vitality and performance of a person not only in old age, but also in old age. Many factors play a large positive role in this: level of education, occupation, personality maturity, etc. Of particular importance is the creative activity of the individual as a factor opposing the involution of the person as a whole (we will dwell on this in more detail when characterizing the possibilities of active longevity). Here is some data on the preservation of those functions that were leading in professional activity in people of retirement age. Scientists' vocabulary and general erudition do not change with age; in older engineers, many nonverbal functions; older accountants performed the speed test just as successfully as younger accountants; Drivers, sailors, pilots maintain high levels of visual acuity and field of vision, etc., into old age.

However, even in old age, and even more so in old age, it can be quite difficult for a person to cope with the general production standards of the working day; involutionary processes in one way or another affect professional working capacity, gradually reducing it. But at the same time, his general ability to work, which is formed even before the start of professional work, develops along with it, and can persist for quite a long time. Long-term preservation of general working capacity is the main indicator of the viability of centenarians. After all, it is in human activity that the main resources and reserves are not only realized, but also reproduced.

In connection with the above, in some cases it is quite possible to extend the productive activity of older people even up to 65-70 years. Elderly people with extensive life experience and practical skills in certain areas of production are simply irreplaceable today. It is possible that it is the three-generation structure in the workforce - grandfathers, fathers and children-grandchildren - that is most optimal from the point of view of ensuring continuity in the development of the production sector of society, the transfer of social and professional experience. Contacts between old people and young people are mutually beneficial: young people gain their life experience and wisdom, and old people, through the energy of youth, are able to actively and constructively influence the development of their traditional area of economics and social practice. What can be said about changes in the personality of an elderly person? What are typical manifestations? It just so happens that most often negative, negative characteristics are named, from which such a psychological portrait of an elderly person could be obtained. Decreased self-esteem, self-doubt, dissatisfaction with oneself; fear of loneliness, helplessness, impoverishment, death; gloominess, irritability, pessimism; decreased interest in new things, hence grumbling, grumpiness; focusing one’s interests on oneself – selfishness, self-centeredness, increased attention to one’s body; uncertainty about the future makes old people petty, stingy, overly cautious, pedantic, conservative, lacking initiative, etc.

Fundamental research by domestic and foreign scientists testifies (with all the complexity of this period) to the diverse manifestations of an old person’s positive attitude towards life, people, and himself.

K.I. Chukovsky wrote in his diary: “I never knew that it was so joyful to be an old man, that not a day later my thoughts were kinder and brighter.” Researcher of personal changes in old age N.F. Shakhmatov, characterizing the symptoms of mental decline and mental illnesses, disorders, believes that the idea of mental aging cannot be complete and integral without taking into account favorable cases, which better than any other options characterize aging, which is inherent only to humans. These options, whether they are designated as successful, successful, favorable and, finally, happy, reflect their advantageous position in comparison with other forms of mental aging.

Mental aging is diverse, the range of its manifestations is very wide. Let's get acquainted with its main types. In F. Giese’s typology, three types of old people and old age are distinguished:

1) a negative old man who denies any signs of old age;

2) an extroverted old man who recognizes the onset of old age through external influences and by observing changes (young people have grown up, differences of opinion with them, the death of loved ones, changes in their position in the family, changes-innovations in the field of technology, social life, etc. );

3) introverted type, which is characterized by an acute experience of the aging process. A person does not show interest in new things, is immersed in memories of the past, is inactive, strives for peace, etc.

I.S. Kohn identifies the following socio-psychological types of old age.

The first type is active creative old age, when veterans, retiring for a well-deserved retirement, continue to participate in public life, in educating young people, etc., live a full life without experiencing any handicap.

The second type of old age - pensioners do things that they simply did not have time for before: self-education, recreation, entertainment, etc. That is, this type of old people is also characterized by good social and psychological adaptability, flexibility, adaptation, but the energy is mainly directed towards themselves.

The third type (and these are predominantly women) finds the main application of their strength in the family. And since housework is inexhaustible, the women doing it simply have no time to mope and be bored. However, psychologists note that life satisfaction in this group of people is lower than in the first two.

The fourth type are people whose meaning in life is taking care of their own health. Various forms of activity and moral satisfaction are associated with this. At the same time, there is a tendency (more often in men) to exaggerate their real and imaginary illnesses, and increased anxiety.

Along with the identified prosperous types of old age, I.S. Cohn also draws attention to negative types of development:

a) aggressive old grumblers, dissatisfied with the state of the world around them, criticizing everyone except themselves, lecturing everyone and terrorizing those around them with endless claims;

b) disappointed in themselves and their own lives, lonely and sad losers, constantly blaming themselves for real and imaginary missed opportunities, thereby making themselves deeply unhappy.

The classification proposed by D.B. is quite widely supported in the world psychological literature. Bromley. He identifies five types of personality adaptation to old age.

• A person’s constructive attitude towards old age, in which elderly and old people are internally balanced, have a good mood, and are satisfied with emotional contacts with others. They are moderately critical of themselves and at the same time very tolerant of others and their possible shortcomings. They do not dramatize the end of professional activity, have an optimistic attitude towards life, and interpret the possibility of death as a natural event that does not cause sadness and fear. But, having experienced too many traumas and shocks in the past, they show neither aggression nor depression, and have lively interests and constant plans for the future. Thanks to their positive life balance, they confidently count on the help of others. The self-esteem of this group of elderly and old people is quite high.

· Dependency relationship. A dependent personality is a person who is subordinate to someone, dependent on his spouse or on his child, who does not have too high demands in life and, thanks to this, willingly leaves professional work. The family environment provides him with a sense of security, helps him maintain internal harmony, emotional balance, and not experience hostility or fear.

· A defensive attitude, which is characterized by: exaggerated emotional restraint, some straightforwardness in one's actions and habits, a desire for self-sufficiency and a reluctant acceptance of help from others. People of this type of adaptation to old age avoid expressing their own opinions and have difficulty sharing their doubts and problems. Sometimes they take a defensive position towards the whole family: even if there are any claims and complaints against it, they do not express them. The defense mechanism that they use against the feeling of fear of death and deprivation is their activity through force, constant feeding by external actions. People with a defensive attitude towards advancing old age are very reluctant and only under pressure from others to leave their professional work.

· Attitude of hostility towards others. People with such an attitude are aggressive and suspicious, strive to shift blame and responsibility for their own failures onto others, and do not quite adequately assess reality. Distrust and suspicion make them withdraw into themselves and avoid contact with others. They do their best to drive away the thought of retiring, as they use the mechanism of relieving tension through activity. Their life path, as a rule, was accompanied by numerous stresses and failures, many of which turned into nervous diseases. People belonging to this type of attitude towards old age are prone to acute reactions of fear, they do not perceive their old age, and think with despair about the progressive loss of strength. All this is also combined with a hostile attitude towards young people, sometimes with the transfer of this attitude to a whole new, alien world. This kind of rebellion against their own old age is combined in these people with a strong fear of death.

· The attitude of a person's hostility towards himself. People of this type avoid memories because they have had many failures and difficulties in their lives. They are passive, do not rebel against their own old age, they only meekly accept what fate sends them. The inability to satisfy the need for love is the cause of depression, sadness and self-claims. Associated with these states is a feeling of loneliness and uselessness. Self-aging is assessed quite realistically; the end of life - death is interpreted by these people as deliverance from suffering.

Let us note that the presented main types of old age and attitudes towards it do not exhaust the entire variety of manifestations of behavior, communication, activities of an aging person, and the diversity of individuals. The classifications are indicative in nature in order to create some basis for specific (research or practical) work with elderly and senile people.

The main stressors of elderly and old people can be considered the lack of a clear rhythm of life; narrowing the scope of communication; withdrawal from active work; empty nest syndrome; a person withdrawing into himself; a feeling of discomfort from a confined space and many other life events and situations. The most powerful stressor in old age is loneliness. This concept is far from unambiguous. If you think about it, the term loneliness has a social meaning. A person has no relatives, peers, or friends. Loneliness in old age can also be associated with living separately from younger family members. However, psychological aspects (isolation, self-isolation) turn out to be more significant in old age, reflecting the awareness of loneliness as misunderstanding and indifference on the part of others. Loneliness becomes especially real for a person who lives a long time. The focus of his thoughts and reflections can be solely on the situation that gave rise to the restriction of his social circle. The heterogeneity and complexity of the feeling of loneliness are expressed in the fact that an old person, on the one hand, feels an increasing gap with others, is afraid of a lonely lifestyle, on the other hand, he strives to isolate himself from others, to protect his world and the stability in it from the invasion of outsiders. Practicing gerontologists are constantly faced with facts where complaints about loneliness come from old people living with relatives or children much more often than from old people living alone. One of the very serious reasons for the disruption of connections with others lies in the disruption of their connections with young people. Not the most humanistic position is being consolidated: the lack of a real life projection for the future is clear both for the oldest person and for his young environment. Moreover, it is not uncommon today to call such a relict phenomenon as gerontophobia, or hostile feelings towards old people.

Many of the stressors of elderly and old people can be prevented or relatively painlessly overcome precisely by changing attitudes towards old people and the aging process in general. The famous American physician and founder of the Institute of Somatic Research, Thomas Hanna, writes: The glorification of youth is the flip side of the hatred of aging... To despise the fact of aging is the same as to despise life. This is the same as discovering a complete misunderstanding of the very essence of life. Youth is not a state that needs to be preserved. This is a state that needs to be developed and continued. Youth has strength, but it has no skill. But skill and experience are the greatest strength. Youth has speed, but it has no efficiency. But in the end, only efficiency helps to achieve the goal. Youth lacks perseverance. But only perseverance helps you solve complex problems and make the right decisions. Young people have energy and intelligence, but they do not have the ability to make the right decisions or judge correctly how to use these qualities. Youth is filled with genetically programmed desires, but it does not know how to achieve their fulfillment and feel the beauty of what has been achieved. Youth is full of hopes and promises, but it does not have the ability to evaluate their accomplishment and fulfillment. Youth is a time to sow and cultivate crops, but it is not a time to harvest. Youth is a time of innocence and ignorance, but it is not a time of wisdom and knowledge. Youth is a time of emptiness that is waiting to be filled, it is a time of opportunity that is waiting to be realized, it is a beginning that is waiting to be developed... If we do not understand that life and aging are a process of growth and progress, then we will not understand the basic principles of life...

The author of this statement believes that age itself cannot be the cause of health or disease; age may have nothing to do with the thousands of problems that are blamed on it. Here's a fairly typical question: Doctor, why can't you help me? And an equally typical answer: You’re not getting any younger. This is how you should feel. And then the equally typical advice: Now that you are getting older, you should slow down a little. T. Hanna considers such advice deadly, which opens the path leading directly to defeat. As a researcher and practitioner who has relieved hundreds of people from physical suffering caused by neuralgia, scoliosis, kyphosis, osteoporosis, compressed discs, etc., he discovered that many problems are associated with sensory-motor amnesia, problems in the sensory-motor system , which is the basis of human experience and behavior. It is an indisputable fact that as soon as a person stops performing certain physical actions, he gradually loses the very ability to act. (A comparison is appropriate here with the abundance and variety of movements and actions in childhood and the minimum of those in an adult.) A person loses one or another function because the brain, being a very sensitive organ, seems to adapt to the loss of this activity. If some movements or actions cease to be part of his behavior, then the brain simply crosses them out. In other words, the daily awareness of how these movements and actions occur is lost, disappears, forgotten. This is sensory-motor amnesia, which may not necessarily occur in old age, but can occur at 40 years old, 30 years old, and even 20 years old. According to the author, there is no such disease as aging. The enormous capabilities of the human brain make it possible to master the art of controlling the internal processes occurring in the body. You just need to learn this. Based on the works of G. Selye (stress theory) and M. Feldenkreis (method of bodily retraining), T. Hanna developed and proved in practice the high effectiveness and accessibility of a somatic exercise program for everyone, which allows them to cope with the consequences of sensory-motor amnesia, i.e. loss of memory for sensations and movements, restore flexibility and health, master the art of not aging.

The position of Academician N.M. is in harmony with this understanding of the aging process. Amosov, who proved with his own life and activities its undeniable value. At 83 years old, he still amazes and amazes today with the ease with which he copes with enormous physical exertion.

In the book “Overcoming Old Age,” the author writes that he wanted to increase fitness through increased physical activity, and to compensate for the decline in motives from the exhaustion of needs with motives from beliefs, from ideas. Use the unique quality of the human mind: create an idea and train it so that it can partially replace the biological needs that fade with aging. The scientist outlines the content of the experiment on overcoming old age, its results and summarizes his book as follows: Human nature is strong - you need to trust it, don’t fuss about minor illnesses and don’t take medicine in vain. Signs of a serious illness require checking with a doctor, but even in this case you should not become completely dependent on medicine.

Russian scientists have found that a person retains the ability to be active and adapt as long as he receives appropriate loads to which he needs to respond. In modern science about old age, the central place is occupied by the specific practical task of maintaining human life at a certain stable level, extending the duration of individual life, changing the timing of the onset of incapacitated old age and changing the nature of aging. In the modern world, a person, having reached the age of 70-80 years, stands on the threshold of a biological time limit determined by species, hereditary and individual properties that cannot yet be accurately revealed.

The more important it becomes to study the facts and factors of human longevity and longevity, i.e. over 90 years of age. Many hypotheses and theories were put forward that ultimately explained the reasons for longevity by personality traits, climatic living conditions, the specifics of work, life and relationships (communication) with people around them, heredity, etc.

According to outstanding Russian scientists I.I. Mechnikova, A.A. Bogomolets, I.P. Pavlov, the natural life expectancy of a person is over a hundred years, and longevity and longevity are not an exception, but a natural physiological phenomenon. When studying the phenomenon of longevity and analyzing natural environmental and climatic factors, scientists point to the special importance of highlands, since it is in mountainous areas that long-livers are most often found. There are three mountainous places on the globe that are famous for their longevity: the Caucasus, Vilcambamba in South America, and Hunza in the Himalayas (Pakistan). Anthropologists and gerontologists who have visited these areas provide a lot of data about specific people, their lifestyle, as well as the maximum age of the centenarians of these places. In the Caucasus, for every 20 thousand people, 14 people reach the age of over 100 years; in Hunza, for every 20 thousand people there are 3 residents over 100 years old. Residents of these three places are characterized by active longevity; Life expectancy there far exceeds the average on planet Earth.

The importance of physiomorphological features is noted. Centenarians are, as a rule, thin, active people, lovers of fresh air, they do not have senile ailments or organic diseases. Life ends naturally. It is also stated that long-livers are quite modest in regard to their material support, they are illiterate or completely illiterate, and are not spoiled by good hygienic conditions and light physical work. Of particular importance as a factor that resists involution in general and contributes to the active longevity of a person is his creative activity.

Outstanding scientists and artists maintained high performance not only in old age, but also in old age. High creative potential during the period of gerontogenesis is due to a number of factors, including psychological ones, which operate throughout a person’s entire life course. One of the most typical characteristics of creative people is the breadth of their interests. Individuals engaged in creative work mobilize various functions, including them in the general structure of the intellect as a holistic formation that steadily resists the aging process. Creativity presupposes the unity of the individual and the subject of activity, expressed to the maximum extent. A creative personality is focused on contributions that are useful not to individual groups, but to society as a whole, and the larger the personality, the more pronounced is its orientation towards the future, toward social progress. Further: the repetition of the creative cycle in search of solutions to ever new problems, an orientation towards novelty lead to the use of various forms of activity, which distinguishes highly gifted people.

Creative activity to a certain extent acts as a factor not only in psychological and social, but also in biological longevity. The history of science has preserved the names of such long-lived giants as Sophocles, the ancient Greek poet and playwright (c. 496-406 BC); Hippocrates is an ancient Greek physician, medical reformer, known in psychology in connection with the doctrine of temperament (c. 460-c. 370 BC); Plato - ancient Greek philosopher, student of Socrates (428/427 BC - 348/347 BC); Jahiz Abu Uthman Amn ibn Bahr - Arabic writer (c. 767-868).

Here are examples from the past and present centuries. Krylov Alexey Nikolaevich (1863-1945) - an outstanding Russian mathematician and mechanic, engineer and inventor, whose works were devoted mainly to shipbuilding and ship theory, a wonderful teacher and popularizer of scientific knowledge, who carried out multifaceted activities in the field of exact sciences, showed a keen interest in the humanities sphere, expressed in his participation in the development of Russian speech and the protection of its correctness. Obruchev Vladimir Afanasyevich (1863-1956) - a famous geologist and geographer, a tireless traveler, researcher of Siberia, Central and Central Asia, the author of fundamental works devoted to these regions, as well as science fiction, adventure and popular science books (about 24 thousand in total . pages); Hero of Socialist Labor, academician.

The examples given indicate the diversity and breadth of interests of creative individuals. Their interests are active in nature, being realized not only in various forms of professional activity, but also in other socially significant areas, which increases the chances of realizing the various potential capabilities of the individual during the period of gerontogenesis. A study of the personality of scientists who have maintained creative longevity reveals not only well-known qualities - hard work, perseverance, organization, etc., but also the specificity of their reflection (reflection of intuitiveness, fantasy, desire for novelty, flexibility, originality, criticality, inversion, etc. i.e. a tendency to transition from one state to another, to childishness). The specificity is that the level of reflected creativity does not depend on the gender of scientists, which indicates the leading role of the activity factor in revealing the potential capabilities of a person, the reserves of his body and personality.

Many people are very interested in the issues of life expectancy and especially active longevity, characterized by high performance without disease. One of the modern researchers of health and longevity, Yuri Petrovich Gushcho - master of sports, sports coach, professor, doctor of technical sciences, inventor of Russia, president of the international association Personality, Ecology, World, leader of the round-the-world rally on all continents of the planet - believes that when determining the longevity rating it is necessary to take into account how the processes of aging and antibioaging develop, and identifies twelve controlled indicators that affect these processes (i.e., the processes of aging and antibioaging of the body). Let us list these indicators: heredity; time and place of birth; breathing conditions and culture; water and drinking regime; Physical Culture; nutrition; moral and mental state; body cleansing and sleep; social status; working conditions; medical and drug services; bad habits.

Thus, the period of gerontogenesis is the result of the entire life course of a person - infancy, early age, preschool, primary school, adolescence and adolescence, early adolescence, youth, adulthood, maturity. During this period, the effect of ontogenetic laws of heterochrony, unevenness, and stadiality intensifies, which, in turn, means an increase in inconsistency in the development of various substructures in the human psyche. Along with involutionary processes, changes and new formations of a progressive nature occur at all levels of human organization, which make it possible to prevent or overcome destructive phenomena in old age. The active longevity of an elderly person is facilitated by many factors, the leading psychological among which can be considered his development as a socially active personality, as a subject of creative activity and a bright individuality. And here a high level of self-organization, conscious self-regulation of one’s lifestyle and activity plays a huge role.

Ways to deal with the old age crisis

The main thing is not to isolate yourself. There are enough factors that make you feel lonely and useless. But if we take them all into account, the crisis will not only not go away, but will drag on for many years.

There are other tips from psychologists:

Don't blame yourself. Establish contact with your inner self. Analyze the past, present and future, and then accept it as it was, is and will be accordingly. Understand that you cannot change what has already happened. So is there any point in regretting it? Listen to your feelings. Maybe there is something you wanted to do, but never dared to? Believe me, now is the time for this.
Find a hobby. If you stay at home all the time, the old age crisis will not go away. Of course, TV and the Internet will help you cope with loneliness for a while. But they will soon cause boredom and irritation. So find something interesting to do. This could be creativity, walks in the fresh air, playing sports with peers. Why not try learning a foreign language? All this will help you eradicate bad thoughts and find new friends.
Look for new acquaintances. There is a saying: an old friend is better than two new ones. This is partly correct. But not in the case of the old age crisis. A person may become sad if one of his friends or acquaintances starts talking about the past. That is why it is better to make new friends. Remember, perhaps one of them has already overcome the crisis and will be happy to share practical advice with you.
Engage in social activities. Volunteering will help you feel like a needed person again, a full-fledged member of society. You can visit orphanages and homes for the elderly, helping people who find themselves in difficult life situations. Another good option is to visit animal shelters.
Travel. If possible, visit a country you have always dreamed of visiting. This is one of the most effective ways to take your mind off the crisis and regain your joy in life. If this is not possible, arrange a tour of nearby cities or visit remote areas of your city.

And, perhaps, the most important advice is to improve your relationships with family and friends. Don't be upset with them if they don't seem to spend enough time with you. Also, don't neglect them. People in a state of crisis in old age tend to become self-absorbed and not notice what is going on around them. Therefore, forgive insults and always make contact. Practice intimate conversations, sit with your grandchildren, spend time with your family. This is an important requirement for those who want to overcome the old age crisis as soon as possible.

Old age from a career perspective

If we consider old age from the perspective of a professional career, then this is the stage of completion. As a rule, at this time a person ends his working career and retires. This, of course, significantly changes his entire way of life: there is a decrease in social contacts, a deterioration in material conditions, and the usual daily routine changes.

Many people are afraid of being unemployed, afraid of retiring. For them, this is a frightening prospect of losing life goals, the feeling that life is lived and only weakness, boredom and loneliness lie ahead.

It is important for an elderly person to find some hobby or passion that will bring pleasure and joy.

One cannot ignore the physiological changes that inevitably occur, leading to a deterioration in a person’s well-being and his physical condition as a whole. A person’s physical capabilities are reduced and their metabolism is disrupted. There is, among other things, a weakening of sexual potency and interests.

There is an increase in certain human qualities, especially negative ones. For example, if a person in adulthood emphasized integrity and firmness of views, then in old age these qualities often develop into intolerance towards the opinions of others, giving rise to the so-called “war of generations”, leading to conflicts with others, including relatives and strangers . Thrift can develop into stinginess and pettiness. If previously a person was emotionally unrestrained, now he can completely lose control over his emotions and become aggressive.

Useful reading: Is lonely old age so scary?

Along with negative character changes, most people in old age can also experience positive changes. Very often one can notice in older people a certain calmness, a renunciation of petty interests, everyday squabbles and a balancing of opposing character traits, emotions and certain qualities. Rethinking life values and one’s own actions quite often leads a person to religion.

Due to the ongoing processes associated with the slowdown of higher mental functions, the ability to learn is significantly reduced. This is precisely why older people have such difficulty mastering technological innovations. They become more conservative and have difficulty adapting to even minor changes in everyday life.