Depression in the Elderly - An Overview, II
Continuing with my overview of depression in the elderly population, today I’d like to finish that up and then as the week progresses, we will address the causes of elderly depression along with signs & symptoms, treatments, what to do if you know a depressed elderly person, self-help for the elderly with depression and then a brief bit on dementia and Alzheimer’s and their impact on depression in the elderly.
Like I said in my previous entries on depression in the elderly, 2 million of the 35 million elderly (”elderly” is considered to be the population above 65 years old) live with full-blown depression, but a only a very small percentage get the help that they need. Many people assume (and we all know what happens when we assume) that seniors have a good reason to be depressed, or, because it is rather common, that the depression is a natural stage in aging. Isolation also leads to the lack of recognition with elderly depression. Oftentimes, physicians will concentrate solely on physical, rather than mental or emotional ailments when the elderly are at the their regular appointments. On top of all this, many depressed seniors don’t talk about their feelings or ask for help.
There are serious risks for older adults who leave their depression untreated. Physical illnesses, alcohol and prescription drug dependence (self-medicating), a higher than average mortality rate and it can even lead to suicide. It is incredibly important to watch for the warning signs & symptoms of depression and get professional help as soon as it’s noticed. With this attention, support and treatment, depressed seniors can feel better! “No one, whether they’re 18 or 80, has to live with depression.”
mental and emotional health, elderly depression, depression
December 17th, 2007 at 8:07 am
[...] in the Eldery - Causes by Sarah Gould Yesterday I finished up the general overview of elderly depression and today I’d like to start addressing some of the causes of depression in the [...]