Dealing with Depression
As people age, they face increasing numbers of losses. Not only do they have to deal with loss of a spouse, siblings, friends, and neighbors, they also have to deal with everyday losses as well. They may have to contend with issues such as changes in vision and hearing. They may have to learn to use a cane or a walker as they lose the ability to walk unassisted. They may have given up driving or lost the ability to do something they love such as playing golf or painting. All of these things are losses and require time to grieve.
Apathy, irritability, malaise, and sadness are not just part of growing old, they are signs of depression. Depression is treatable. It is not a weakness; it is not something you can just snap out of. It is an illness just like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Parkinson's. It requires medication and often counseling.
Grief comes in five stages: anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. They don't always come along in that order, but all stages must be passed through in order to complete the process and heal. The more important the loss, such as a death, the more obvious the grief.
Clinical depression is common among older people. Unfortunately, it still carries a stigma, and therefore it isn't always identified and dealt with as the health-care issue it is. Depression is characterized by mood changes, but it is not just a mood. Depression is an illness caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Many factors contribute to it, such as loss, stress, boredom, and loneliness, as well as diet, medications, inactivity, hormones, and other physical illnesses.
Some behaviors that can be signs of depression include:
Sadness or dejection without obvious cause
Change in eating habits and or a change in weight without cause
Change in sleeping habits or insomnia
Feelings of hopelessness and/or worthlessness
Loss of interest in hygiene and grooming
Loss of interest in favorite activities
Crying for no apparent reason
Increase in the use of alcohol or tobacco
Thoughts of suicide
If your loved one exhibits any of these signs for more than two weeks, you should seek medical evaluation and treatment for depression. Any talk of suicide should be taken seriously, and if the person says he has a plan, immediate action should be taken.
Depression is not something older people have to suffer with, but more than 75 percent of them will because depression is something they were taught to be ashamed of. Your parent or in-law may be very resistant to discuss depression or see a health-care practitioner for evaluation. You may have to be very firm and insist that he be seen, for your piece of mind.
Depression can also be mistaken for dementia. Confusion and forgetfulness can be signs of Alzheimer's as well as other forms of dementia, but they can also be the result of depression. Only a medical evaluation can make the distinction.
Left untreated, depression will not just sap his energy and make his life miserable, it also leaves him vulnerable to complications and other conditions such as stroke. It reduces his ability to bounce back from illnesses and infections or to recover from any necessary surgery.
