Experiencing firsthand how difficult an aging alcoholic, quadriplegic, post stroke, narcissistic, demented or simply ‘nothing’s wrong with me, I can drive, I don’t need those meds, I don’t need to go to a nursing facility’ kinda parent surely gives you some insight on what to do, what not to do and how to prepare for our own aging and eventual demise.
How do you plan to age gracefully and what advice do you have for us all?
-“nothing’s wrong with me”
Packs a bag and opens the door
-“Bet”
More seriously, first get really in touch with your phyche. It’s hard to underestimate how fucked we can be as individuals when we’re bathing in our parents issues. Don’t be afraid to consult a mental health specialist, if not in your budget (for US reasons) find friends you can confide in without feeling judged (tall order if you don’t have them already I know) or just get a good round of introspection/meditation.
A lot of issues I see adults do is because they never learned to live with themselves and therefore never learned to know themselves, so they’re slaves to their own ignored/repressed feelings.
A healthy mind in an healthy body is maybe a cliché, but it will take you far and they usually go hand in hand anyway.