Mental & Emotional Health

Yesterday’s depression without sadness seems to have hit a search engine of sorts - it’s so random which posts in which series catch people’s eyes. I’m glad, though that people are so enthusiastic about what I’m writing!

Today I’ll take a look at how to help a loved one you know with depression; there are ways, and you can do something even when that person doesn’t specifically seek your help, just offering to help them “if you want it,” will be a help to some people. For many elderly individuals, they were raised during a time when mental illness was HIGHLY stigmatized and very misunderstood. (You think we have it bad now … ask your grams about mental asylums in her day.) This stigmatization and misunderstanding may make seniors even less likely to ask for help; especially if they grew up hearing that depression wasn’t a real illness.

By offering emotional support to a senior citizen you care about, you are making a difference. Listen to them with compassion and empathy, don’t criticize their feelings but do gently point out the realities that they may be missing, try your best to offer hope to them. Also, if your loved one is willing, offer to make sure they get an accurate diagnosis of their depression, and then go with them to his/her appointments if they are willing to let you. Be their helper and let them know that they are loved, no matter what their diagnosis may be.

There are other tips for personally helping an elderly depressed loved one:
*invite your loved one out; help keep his or her mind and body active. Take walks, take an art class, go on a trip to the museum; do things that your loved one used to enjoy!
*schedule these outings (and other social activities) regularly: give your loved one something to look forward to and know that they won’t be isolated all the time! If they refuse to go out with you, gently insist … I know that I always feel better after being “forced” to go out with friends.
*plan and prepare healthy, easy to reheat meals for your loved one. This way they don’t have to worry about cooking meals and they are still getting fed well-balanced full meals (fruits, vegetables, healthy grains!).
* encourage your loved one to follow through with their treatment; depression usually recurs when treatment is stopped too soon, so help your loved one keep up with his or her treatment plan

mental and emotional health, depression, elderly depression, helping depressed people