When physical or mental deterioration makes it impossible to carry on the strenuous activities of youth and middle age, self-respect may be saved only by light tasks given exaggerated importance—fussiness over trivialities. Young people, Dr. Lewis warns, should not be impatient when such "busyness" annoys others in the household. It is a saving mechanism of a mind under strain. Sympathy and understanding on the part of physician. family and associates are the key to preventing and postponing mental old age.
When will the mind fail? Dr.
Lewis has this to so not emphasize too strongly that chronological age is not an index of physiological age, and that physiological age is no index of psychological age or deterioration. In most cases, the important thing to realize is that with the inevitable "setting" or hardening of both body and mind, adjustment of various kinds to changes in environment becomes increasingly difficult, Breakdown seems to come when this natural and inescapable loss of elasticity is accompanied by no letdown of strain but by increase in worry, insecurity and pressure due to failing abilities and accumulated fatigue.
It is postponed by refreshing the mind with frequent rest and change. new interests and pursuit of a variety of old ones, and by the gracious understanding of friends and family. In general. your ageing, which began before you cut your first tooth, will probably show up by the time you are 48 to fifty.
Whether your yı after that will be a graceful old age of usefulness and happiness or a period of partial or complete mental breakdown depends upon the precautions you take in youth and middle age and upon the helpful. ness and good sense of those around you. pin
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.