I’m not quite sure who you’re quoting here. But does it matter? There’s a lot of Elder Wisdom Truth in this thread. The benefits of growing older FAR outweigh the alternative.
I just wanna say thank you to each and everyone of you who took the time to read what I had to say and offer your own advice. I really appreciate! I feel so much better after reading all of these responses. I just hope I can continue to feel this way. I think I may need to print out this entire thread and post it on my wall and re-read it everyday lol.
When I clicked on that link, the supporting google ads were for life insurance and funeral parlors…:eek:
In response to the OP, what you are experiencing is a quarterlife crisis. It is extremely common and several books and articles have been written about it, in addition to the aforementional website/online support group. They also have a forum where you can discuss your constant existential anxieties with other impoverished and confused twentysomethings. 
Rest assured, though. When you are 30, or 40, or 50 for that matter, you will look back on this moment in your life and laugh at how incredibly young and naive you were. We all do. 
Life definitely gets better. It just takes awhile.
Now go eat some ice cream already.
My wife and in are in our mid-30’s, we have jobs, bills, and a 4 year old and a 10 year old (mine from an earlier marriage.)
Last night we went to see a band we like at a small rock club, got drunk on margaritas before we went in, weaver our way to within 5 feet of the stage and danced our asses off for over two hours. Then we came home, paid the sitter, and then dragged our old butts out of bed for work this morning.
Sure, maybe recovery time is a little longer for us - and there’s no way we could do this every night - but we had so much damned fun, and I don’t see it ever not being something we love to do, even in our 50s and 60s.
Growing up isn’t a bad thing at all.
+1 on this. And occasionally, that eternally 23 year old brain will write a check that the 62 year old body has trouble cashing. 
honeybee, so glad you’re feeling better!
I was thinking about you this morning and thought of a couple more things. One was a friend of mine who (he was about 30 at the time) went out and bought a huge supply of those flexible straws. He explained that he and his wife were talking about how they loved to drink through them, and then – “And then I realized that there was nothing preventing me from doing that!” So now he uses one of those straws every time he gets a drink. It’s awesome.
Some things you may want to try doing:
-Find something you want to learn and take a class in it at the local community college. Seriously, right now is the best time to learn stuff. Getting older has advantages too – in my 30’s I have much more of a knowledge base to draw on, and presumably that will just keep getting better – but the 20’s are probably the best time to pick up another skill you’ve always wanted to learn, like pottery or jewelry or Italian or knitting or graphic arts or painting or whatever.
-Indulge yourself in something small and cheap and childish (like flexible straws, or blowing bubbles, or those little foam capsules that turn into animals – I LOVE those, or going out at night to look at the stars), at least once a week. Just because you can. Because there’s no one there to stop you. (My parents thought all those things were really dumb and childish, but now I can do them, so there!)
-Figure out somewhere you want to travel and save up money and make plans for it (and maybe take a class to learn a language if it’s another country with a different language). Because you can! Because no one is stopping you!
-Sign up for Big Brother/Big Sister. This is something I really wish I had done in my 20’s (I have too many commitments now). People I know who’ve done it really like it.
-Find a church community if you are religious (perhaps consider a Unitarian congregation if you aren’t). You mention having a hard time with friends – I found having a community like this to be really good for both my mental state and for having people to hang out with. Especially little kids – volunteer for working the nursery if they have one. They will love you for that and you will get to enjoy being childlike – but you can always hand the kids back when their diapers are stinky 
-Volunteer for some cause you care about.
-Like I said in my last post, if your siblings/childhood-friends are starting to have kids, hang out with them and with the kids. Invite the family over for a playdate/lunch. Play with the kid. Offer to walk with the kid to a park or just on a walk for an hour to get him/her out of the parent’s hair. (I advise doing this with older well-behaved kids to start, though!) The parents will love you. The kid will love you. There is nothing like it. Even having my own kid (which I adore) is different from being the awesome play-in-the-dirt aunt (if only because I can’t give my kid back to anyone if she starts crying or being poopy…)
The first thing you should do is seek treatment for depression and/or anxiety disorder. The fear of aging isn’t the real problem, it is a manifestation of the underlying disorder. (Not to say a $4 generic prescription of Paxil issued by a GP is going to make your world suddenly rosy and bright, but I took it for a while and was able to stop crying about nothing in particular, for hours every day.)
Other than that, I do love the responses posted here! (because I’m not getting any younger and am starting to obsess about aging, too.)
Yes. And when you’re 53, 2 years will feel like 3 months.
Yes.
Crudites! That made me LOL.
Because you remember monstro’s crudites thread?
Wanna converse with your peers about crudites? That’s what the SDMB’s for!
Ok, So I didn’t think I’d be revisiting this post again. (Or at least I hoped I wouldn’t.) After reading all these responses I felt MUCH better-- for 2 whole weeks. But now I’m feeling the exact same way I felt 2 weeks ago since my birthday is in a few more days. I don’t know how to stop obsessing over my age 
I think about it when I go to sleep. And It’s even worse when I wake up! I wake up feeling really sad and hopeless, and then I get what feels like a panic attack. My heart starts racing and then I get this funny feeling in my stomach (I guess it’s butterflies?).I think I really need to see a therapist cause I know this isn’t normal. I haven’t felt THIS depressed about my age since I was 14 1/2.
Crazy thing is, I wasn’t even that worried about turning 23 til 2 people mentioned how “old” I was getting. My daddy told me I was getting “old”. And then a friend of mine, who’s only a YEAR younger than me btw, said I was “getting over the hill”. And then there was something else I heard this one customer say. He told my co-worker (who’s 27) that she didn’t have too long to go before she turned 30, and that once a woman hits 30 no man will want anything to do with her. Her phone will stop ringing and she’ll just have that ONE “homegirl” to talk to. I know I have another 4 more yrs to go til I’m 27, but when I think of how fast these past 4yrs have went by I can’t help but feel depressed about it. You might as well say I’ll be 27 in two more yrs (approaching “old lady” status"). When I turned 22, for some reason, 30 no longer seemed “old” to me. I suddenly realized I wasn’t THAT far from 30 myself. The next 7 or 8 yrs will pass by sooo fast; I know bcus they already have! And it’s only gonna feel shorter with each passing yr.
I dont even know what more I’m expecting from this message board. People have already said all there is to say. I don’t what else it takes for me to stop feeling this way. A tragedy?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. A lot of Dopers have used and recommend the Feeling Good Handbook. Many types of thoughts are a habit, and they are a habit you can break and replace with a more positive, productive habit of thought.
One of the benefits of growing older is realizing that kids are idiots. Stop listening to idiots!
And a lot of us have always felt 60.
As for getting older, it basically rocks (not that I’m ancient or anything - I’m 28.) Every year seems to offer more freedom and opportunity to take charge of my own life than the last.
Well, for one thing I’d stop hanging out with these people. Seriously, what is with that? Also, if you are old at 23 then your daddy is pretty ancient. I bet he doesn’t think so though. …On the other hand, the people who said you were old might have meant it as a compliment – a lot of times people will say that 23 is old in the sense of “you’re no longer a gawky ugly adolescent with pimples that no one takes seriously; welcome to being a beautiful, awesome, self-confident adult!”
Also, you need to stop taking random obnoxious stranger’s comments as gospel. My best friend from college started dating a guy at 33. I just found out they are going to get married – she’ll be 35 when they tie the knot. My husband’s aunt got married for the first time when she was more than 60 years old (I think she was about 70, but I am not totally sure).
Also, I totally second, third, fourth, whatever, the suggestion of cognitive behavioral therapy. As soon as you can!
Or they were busting your chops.
I feel the same. I have anxiety about what’ll be next. I’m 17 and a senior at my high school. I’ll be 18 in 3 months. I have a few plans after graduating, but I have anxiety about the new chapter in my life. So far, I’ve been alright. I work nonstop (full time in high school aswell). Things can get pretty stressful. I’ve held onto the advice like say you’re a battery… A battery needs its time to recharge. Which means, don’t over work yourself and balance busy adulthood with relaxing days or be with people who make you happy.