As I age, becoming for afraid.

[Polymathic]

Hello
I used to be fearless in my teens.
Now I'm older (mid-twenties) I'm scared.
Crippling fear to do things I found easy when younger.
Afraid arm might break, I'll slip off ladder. Everything.
Anyone notice this? Am I alone? Have I just lost faith in myself?

have you gained weight for some reason when I gained weight I became more fearful but once I lost it I gain some of my courage back

 

[CaffeinePirate]

Look here...the love child of Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Bear Grylls.

Ahahaha.

I'm also heading into my mid-twenties and starting to renovate etc my first house. Was first a bit cautious around power tools I had previously only observed people use, but you get the hang of it and know not to fool around.
If anything I'm becoming less afraid and more adventurous in general.

 

[HavocXphere]

I'd say as one ages one develops a more realistic understanding of the dangers & the long term consequences. This brings with it increased caution.

A young adult feels invincible...you lose that feeling round about the mid-twenties (sometimes earlier) and that is a bit frightening. It'll go away - it'll require a bit of introspection though. The exact nature of that path will depend on your religious/philosophical outlook, but for me it was somewhat like this:

To suspect your own mortality is to know the beginning of terror, to learn irrefutably that you are mortal is to know the end of terror.
--Frank Herbert

Personally I don't think it should result in increased fear - especially since one would expect that the capacity to deal with it would also increase. Cautiousness & awareness of the risks yes...fear no and your mention of "crippling fear" suggests to me that you might be dealing with something a bit more serious than the usual "growing up".

A healthy dose of fear is needed around machinery [...] Please wear eye protection at all times when working with machinery

Yep...I'm quite happy around power tools. But I need eye protection, stand on something solid and go at my own chosen pace, else no chance.

When you were a kid you were only responsible for yourself.

I notice this in my driving in particular. When I'm alone I'm much more likely to take risks. Once there is a passenger I feel personally responsible & revert to a risk averse stance. Naturally there are other road users too but you get my point.

 

[Hemi300c]

It's all about, with age comes wisdom and consequences foresight.

 

[murraybiscuit]

Biologically, the myelination of the prefrontal cortex only completes in the early - mid twenties. The prefrontal cortex is critical in executive functioning, planning, reward and social behaviour. Cost-benefit calculation and inhibition of short term reward for long term benefit are influenced by this region. Thus immature neurology correlates to immature behaviour.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefrontal_cortex

 

[Kornhub]

Hello
I used to be fearless in my teens.
Now I'm older (mid-twenties) I'm scared.
Crippling fear to do things I found easy when younger.
Afraid arm might break, I'll slip off ladder. Everything.
Anyone notice this? Am I alone? Have I just lost faith in myself?

You have never been scared of falling off a ladder before

 

[Knyro]

Nope. I've always been very aware of my own mortality and how fragile the human body is, even as a kid. I wondered all the time why my peers did the incredibly dangerous things they did.

"Ja dude I broke my arm again, third time in five years LOLOL. I was riding a trolley down a hill. LOLOLOL. Want to sign my cast?".

Morons.

 

[InternetSwag]

I'm 21 and I'm scared of stuff like getting stabbed/getting into a fight and getting a broken jaw/permanent disfigure. I mean a rugby player at my school died in 2010 cause he was hit with a pole, who the **** hits you with a pole when you have a disagreement.

His death was so unnecessary.

 

[Grant]

Don't worry, the next phase is where you don't give a sh###t. It's a wonderful feeling.

this is where i am

nothing beats flying way too close to the sun

 

[tcat]

I'd say as one ages one develops a more realistic understanding of the dangers & the long term consequences. This brings with it increased caution.

A young adult feels invincible...you lose that feeling round about the mid-twenties (sometimes earlier) and that is a bit frightening. It'll go away - it'll require a bit of introspection though. The exact nature of that path will depend on your religious/philosophical outlook,

Too true, my doctor once said that it is common to find patients quite shocked on learning of their illnesses.
The feeling of 'invincibility' in health matters is quite common, like so many things in life - stuff happens to 'other' people.
Agree with Hemi - with age comes wisdom (though this is not a rule)

 

[noxibox]

+1, I wish the public could read those reports. Will frighten a lot of careless guys into buying safety gear.

Unlikely. One would have to look at it statistically anyway.

Nope. I've always been very aware of my own mortality and how fragile the human body is, even as a kid. I wondered all the time why my peers did the incredibly dangerous things they did.

They were ones who were smart. You only find your limits by pushing them. Taking risks is an important, critical part of development. Children must take risks and sometimes they'll get hurt doing so.

 

[DominionZA]

OP, you're too young to be getting scared

I was pretty much fearless until 30's. Fearless - but responsible. In my 30's I calmed down quite a bit. Family the primary reason.
My 40's (2 years ago) is where it all changed. Thanked the stars that I had gotten away with what I had up until then and totally chilled out.

My fears now are towards my future and ensuring myself and my wife have a comfortable to well off retirement. Now THAT scares me. I am doing all I can to ensure that, but worried it is not enough. Sigh...

 

[Knyro]

Unlikely. One would have to look at it statistically anyway.


They were ones who were smart. You only find your limits by pushing them. Taking risks is an important, critical part of development. Children must take risks and sometimes they'll get hurt doing so.

Hardly. Taking risks/roughhousing is one thing but deliberately emulating Jackass-style behaviour with an almost 100% chance of getting seriously hurt/injured is a different matter.