The older we get, the more we struggle with our doubts, fears and losses. One of the biggest challenges we face as an aging senior is dealing with loneliness. Over the years, most of us have enjoyed the noise and activity provided by family members. Now, the silence can be quite deafening, and can contribute to loneliness and depression. Unfortunately, the signs of depression are often difficult to read and we end up struggling alone and afraid.
There are so many challenges we must face as we grow older, such as the death of a spouse, one of the most devastating experiences anyone must go through. Financial problems are a burden a growing number of seniors face when what little income we have doesn’t seem to stretch as far as it used to and we have little or no prospect of that ever changing. It’s not like the old days when we could go out a look for a better job – now we are tied to an income that has little chance of increase.
Added to the above challenges are the increasing numbers of health problems we face, including physical, mental and emotional No wonder a greater number of us are falling into depression. What we really need to understand is that depression is not a normal part of growing older. There are a great number of seniors living healthy and active lives right to the end.
Effects of Depression
Depression can take a very heavy toll on our health when it is not noticed and treated. Learning to spot the signs means we, or our caregivers, can find effective ways to counteract the effects of depression. Unfortunately, many of us seniors tend to live rather isolated lives and the people around us may be few and far between. They may not be able to pick up on the fact that we are struggling with depression.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is to assume that the elderly have the right to be depressed. What a load of rubbish! No one has the right to be depressed and we have to do everything possible to help our loved ones come out of this often crippling disease. It is because of this belief that a very small percentage of seniors actually get the help they need.
Symptoms of Depression
Many seniors tend to complain of a lack of energy, low motivation and poor health. You will often find that physical ailments like arthritis have actually gotten a whole lot worse when the person is depressed. This is one of the more concrete signs of someone going through a depression.
There are other symptoms like sadness and fatigue, loss of interest in hobbies and life itself, loss of appetite and weight, and above all a sense of poor self-worth. Some seniors even entertain thoughts of suicide and develop a fixation with death.
Keep an eye on your loved one, especially watching for the symptoms described above. If they are experiencing the signs of depression, get them the help they need as soon as possible. Living with depression is not normal no matter how old you are. Depression can be treated. All of us have the right to live our lives without facing this debilitating disease, no matter how old we are!
There is a great amount of information about depression. In fact, we have a number of articles on depression that you can find by clicking on the word depression in the popular topics list on the sidebar. You can also find a ton of information on Amazon.com.
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