What is the concept of a life review? What are the main differences in theories of aging?

What is the concept of a life review? What are the main differences in theories of aging?

What is the concept of a life review? What are the main differences in theories of aging?

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Module 1: Ageism, Biases, Life Review & Ego Integrity

Module 1: Ageism, Biases, Life Review & Ego Integrity
Older adults may frequently reflect on their lives and question whether they were meaningful. This reflective process can be viewed as a natural aging process. However, individuals’ approaches to life reviews can significantly vary based on their attitudes about aging and the aim of this process. Life reviews have gained popularity in hospice and palliative care settings because they can assist patients in finding comfort and closure as their lives draw to a close. This paper will examine the idea of a life review and the critical differences between aging theories.
The Concept of a Life Review
The concept of life review is defined as the psychological process where an individual reflects on their past actions and experiences, usually during the later stages of their life or in near-death experiences. Life review aims to gain insight, wisdom, and closure in one’s life, to come to terms with unresolved conflicts or regrets, and to find meaning and purpose in one’s existence (Sharif et al., 2019). A life review may also enable some people to recognize recurring patterns, acknowledge their successes and shortcomings, and mend fences with loved ones. This can either happen naturally or be guided by a therapist.
Theories of Aging
There are several aging theories, each of which provides a distinct explanation for why our body functions decline with time. The biological clock aging theory, also known as the neuroendocrine aging theory, developed by Vladimir Dilman, states that as we age, our bodies have a predetermined sequence of system shutdown and modification as a result of physiological variation in the hormone levels produced by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and other endocrine glands (Diggs, 2021). These alterations cause the capacity of the body to maintain homeostasis to decline, increasing the risk of age-related disorders and worsening general health.
Additionally, Denham Harman formally proposed the free-radical theory of aging in 1956. It postulates that aging is the cumulative effect of oxidative damage to the body’s cells and tissues, which predominantly results from aerobic metabolism (Ziada et al., 2020). Free radicals are molecules with one unpaired electron in their outer shell, primarily byproducts of normal metabolism. Most biological free radicals are highly reactive and hence connected to oxidative damage. According to this theory, the buildup of this oxidative damage is the primary factor in aging.
Another theory is the autoimmune aging theory introduced by Roy L. Walford in 1969. This theory states that as people age, their immune systems tend to become less effective and more dysfunctional, as shown by a diminished capacity to fight off infections and other immune challenges, such as immune reactions against one’s body proteins (Stibich, 2020). These self-destructive activities can result in uncontrolled cell division leading to diseases like cancer.
Conclusion
Life review is a normal introspective process that might happen in later phases of life or during near-death encounters. It strives to assist people in finding understanding, wisdom, and closure about their lives as well as meaning and purpose in them, as well as to heal relationships with loved ones. There are various aging theories, such as the autoimmune aging theory, the free-radical theory of aging, and the biological clock theory. Understanding these theories can help people make wise decisions about their health as they age since they offer diverse reasons for our bodies’ aging.
 
References
Diggs, J. (2021). Neuroendocrine (aging clock) theory of aging. Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health, pp. 584–586. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-33754-8_313
Sharif, F., Jahanbin, I., Amirsadat, A., & Hosseini Moghadam, M. (2019). Effectiveness of life review therapy on quality of life in the late-life at Shiraz, Iran daycare centers: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Community Based Nursing and Midwifery, 6(2), 136–145. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845117/
Stibich, M. (2020). How your immune system might be at the heart of how you age. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/immunological-theory-of-aging-2224224
Ziada, A. S., Smith, M.-S. R., & Côté, H. C. F. (2020). Updating the free radical theory of aging. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.575645