[Rive1976]

Anyone have old therapists and are afraid of them croaking?

[piggy momma]

My last one, yes. He was 70 when we ended. My current is only 61 and in good health but it still crosses my mind very frequently. It’ll just be another relationship I invested heavily in and lost I guess.

[stopdog]

Both women were in their late 60's/early 70's when I hired them. They both retired. I was not concerned about them dying. While I did not necessarily wish them harm, they were not part of my real life.

[Siennasays]

My current T is in her mid 70s. I'm not necessarily concerned she will croak, lol. She seems in fairly good health. I just know retirement is probably inevitable in the near future, and that concerns me.

[ArtleyWilkins]

:laughing a bit about 60's to early 70's being considered near death:

[growlycat]

My long term t is in his late seventies. I see him once a year when I visit my home state. I recently had a dream that he was dying. Current t said it was a dream about letting him go I will never feel ready for that.

[precaryous]

Omg, yes. Her birthday is coming in January. She will be 72 or 73, I forget.

Last week I told her I am afraid of her retiring. I know she will some day. She always says she’s tired. (And I would be, too!)

No definite retiring plans, she said. Before she retired she would slow her practice down and stop scheduling new clients.

She better never ever die.

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by precaryous

Omg, yes. Her birthday is coming in January. She will be 72 or 73, I forget.

Last week I told her I am afraid of her retiring. I know she will some day. She always says she’s tired. (And I would be, too!)

No definite retiring plans, she said. Before she retired she would slow her practice down and stop scheduling new clients.

She better never ever die.

Mines the same age and only works two and a half days a week. I dont want her to die or retire fully ever either.

Mines 78. It crosses my mind every now again, I think sub conciously it is another sub concious keeping her at arms length because i think she is going to leave me.

Feel too awkward to bring it up. 'Hey you know the average age is 80 and you are 78? Well this kinda plays on my mind a bit.' The only time she has mentioned retiring was when I quit a year back and she said I could seek her out again if she hadn't retired.... so it must be something she is concious of.

[doyoutrustme]

Mines not old but I still worry he’ll be hit by a truck or move.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by ArtleyWilkins

:laughing a bit about 60's to early 70's being considered near death:

I don't consider 60-70's to be particularly old - but no one on either side of my family except my father somehow - has lived past 70. My mother died suddenly in her early 60's and in my family - that is more usual than not.
When the therapists retired - within a few months of each other - the first one was in her early 70s and the other was almost 80

[ArtleyWilkins]

Originally Posted by stopdog

I don't consider 60-70's to be particularly old - but no one on either side of my family except my father somehow - has lived past 70. My mother died suddenly in her early 60's and in my family - that is more usual than not.

See, most of the 70 - 80-year olds I know are busy, active, loving life, traveling, sharp as tacks. But my relations and elderly friends have generally lived into their late eighties and nineties. My mother passed away at 84, but she literally was on a Panama Canal cruise two months before her death, seemingly is perfect health. Life did not slow down for until just a few weeks before she died. My dad is 88 and still drives, lives independently, and his mind may be sharper than my own.

My most recent therapist is right at 70 I think. I doubt he plans on retire quite yet. He's taken up ballroom dancing as his most recent hobby.

Age is rather relative. Some people are old in their 50s from too much hard living early in their life. (My best friend who is 55 spent too many years drinking, smoking, and drugging, and her health now is awful -- very much like what many would consider the health of someone in their 70's or so. I suspect she will not see truly "old" age.) Other people, like my parents and my T, are "young" for their age -- have plenty of energy and great health.

But there on no guarantees one way or the other. We have a close family friend whose husband, a police officer who was physically active, took care of himself, etc., dropped dead from a massive heart attack without any warning whatsoever at the age of 59. What a shock that was!

It just amuses me when people automatically call someone over 60 "old". It really isn't about the number.

[stopdog]

My family members were sharp, active, etc. Mostly just died suddenly - not lingering illness or dementia.
I am almost 60 - I don't mind being old - it is rather freeing. I don't think being older equals being decrepit.

[growlycat]

My perspective is skewed. My maternal grandma died at 64. Those on my dads sideblived til thier 90s but we’re crazier than bat guano. There are more and more people healthy and active right til the end.

I'm afraid he has dementia because of how he acts.

[growlycat]

My long term t had both parents succumb to dementia. I worry for his future though he seems well right now.

[SlumberKitty]

All of my T's except for T3 have been 60+. It is something I think about. I try not to dwell on it though. Kit.

[doyoutrustme]

Ok this thread jinxed me my pdoc just informed me he’s phasing out psychotherapy services after seven years of on and off therapy and meds management.

Tailspinning

Migraine

Depressed

[SlumberKitty]

(((doyoutrustme)))

[doyoutrustme]

Why do we set ourselves up for hurt

[coolibrarian]

Therapists are people, just like the rest of us, and they don't have to be old to die.

[WishfulThinker66]

Ahh, you've kind of hit a concern of mine. My concern about a senior citizen psychiatrist or therapist is that they have rather old, conservative, and backwards values that would cause them to be rather judgemental of the values of today.