Depression is not an uncommon illness across the most of the lifespan and the elderly are no exception. Sometimes elderly people visit their doctor with a series of ailments only to be told they are not physically ill, but are suffering from depression.
So what are the symptoms of depression in the elderly? Mostly, they are much the same as those of any age group, yet because of the nature of some of the symptoms, elderly people may assume that something more serious, such as dementia, is causing the symptoms.
Below is an outline of the symptoms of depression as commonly experienced by the elderly. You do not need to have all of these signs to be diagnosed with depression, but there certainly needs to be impairment in day to day living.
1. Feeling sad or irritable for long periods of time or for most of every day
2. Loss of pleasure or interest in the activities you once enjoyed
3. Overeating or undereating
4. Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
5. Overworrying, or suffering from anxiety more than usual
6. Feeling unworthy, or that you are a burden to others
7. Inability to concentrate properly
8. Loss of memory
9. Tiredness or lack of energy
10. Thoughts that life is no longer worth living
It is important for any person experiencing these symptoms to tell your doctor or mental health professional.
So what causes an elderly person to become depressed? Generally, the reasons are much the same as for any age group. Personal problems, death of a loved one, loss of physical fitness; the reasons are endless.
The elderly also have the added burden of having to deal with age-related illnesses, such as arthritis and macular degeneration which can prevent participation in many former hobbies such as golf, bowls, craftwork and the like. This naturally diminishes the quality of life of the elderly person and it takes a philosophical approach to accept these side effects of aging to overcome these trials and banish depression. We are all different and take varying lengths of time to accept the inevitabilities of aging.
We will discuss the issues of depression in the elderly in our next article.
Contact Beth McHugh for further assistance regarding this issue.
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