Do you find that as you get older your phobias and fears increase or become magnified?

No, just the opposite. I’m more careful, because I’ve come to the realization I’m not bulletproof, but I know I can deal with whatever happens, because most of it has already happened and I survived. So far. :)

I’ve overcome so much in the past three years that I feel stronger and less fearful than I used to although I still can get that 3 a.m. angst about the future.

No, I get less fearful as I age, because, like a fine wine,
I only get better with age and fearfulness is not better.

I’ve been fortunate to “force feed” my fears until they burst, and Fluther was pretty much the sole public forum for that process (in addition to what all I did on my own). I dosed on fear like crazy until I became aware that that’s exactly what I was doing. Gaining that awareness ended up being a tipping point towards some beautiful changes which still have lots of room to grow.

I sometimes compare it to the passage from Eat, Pray, Love where the Thai medicine man explains that the meditations through hell and the meditations through heaven lead to the same place. “Same same,” he says.

I was lucky to have a period in my life where I could burn through all that shit with such intensity that all the fuel was consumed. Now I’m 41, and for the most part, I don’t have anything left to fear. Not too shabby.

Some fears have magnified and others have diminished.

I am more afraid of risky driving. Partly because I was in an accident and partly just because as I get older I know better and better how life can change in an instance or even be over.

I am less afraid of what others think.

I am more afraid of eating foods that are bad for me.

I have always been bad with making major decisions and my anxiety/fear actually seems worse now in these situations, but I can make the decisions more readily now, because I am better at not caring as much about the consequence. I can kind of just put my mind in the spot of saying, fuck it, I’m unsure, but just bite the bullet. In a way it is worse and in a way it is better. My husband is so much better at making decisions, I am fascinated by it.

I find living now much easier than I used to. No fears and no phobias. If a problem arises, i’ll solve it or find someone who can.

I am able also to say “No, thanks” now to any activity that doesnt suit me. without having to explain or get defensive.

If I need to brood a few days before making a decision, I do.

If I occasionally make a bad decision, I will rectify it as soon as possible.

Age brings wisdom… I think things are amplified only when you’re younger.

I’m with @gailcalled Most people outgrow their fears and phobias as they mature. The ones that don;t tend to have longstanding and deeper issues aside from immaturity related anxieties.

For me, old fears have been replaced, or at least muted, by new ones.

Well, I once as an adult planned to go sledding on a steep hill outside of our house, but all I could imagine once we got on the sled was falling off and breaking something which I never would have done as a child since I went sledding all the time.

I have bearen down my fear of Nuclear War and snakes. I am much less fearful.

I’m only afraid of poverty and serial killer rapists, otherwise bring on the sharks and spiders and snakes and lions. haha

I have not experienced such but I have witnessed it firsthand in both my aged mother-in-law (89 y.o.) and my own mother (82 y.o.).

It seems to be brought on by an inability to do what you used to be able to do, think as clearly as you used to and all them “newfangled” thangs out there that you now have to try to understand.

I don’t fear water anymore, and in fact I had taught myself to become a very strong swimmer. I still have a fear of crowds and facing new situations (I’m not sure what phobia the latter would qualify as), but these fears have somewhat lessened for me with age and experience. I still have a great fear of wasps for some reason, though I don’t think this phobia has changed in either direction for me.