Elderly Depression - How to Deal With Depression in Older People

By David C. Messier


Many elders think that feeling depressed is a natural part of the aging process. This is not true. While many elders suffer from depression, they don't necessarily have to feel that way.Recognizing the signs of depression is the first step in handling it. Has your elder stopped doing the things he or she once enjoyed? Has personal care declined? Is your elder unnaturally quiet or lash out in anger? These are signs of depression.It is important to bring up these symptoms with your elder's doctor as soon as you see them. While it can be treated, chances are good that treatment will not be the same as it would be for someone younger.

One mood that is both universally experienced and universally dreaded by humans is stress. Stress makes you crabby and unproductive. It causes you to fight with those you love and feel angry at yourself. It is no fun. Stress is quite simply a nightmare.The good news is that you can combat stress by engaging in regular exercise. Exercise is a natural and healthy stimulant. As the endorphins course through your body, chemicals that boost your mood, such as serotonin, are released in large quantities naturally. Your body heats up and as your core body temperature increases it has the same effect on your brain and mood as a hot bath-you start to feel naturally relaxed and almost Zen.

Talk to your best friend. Remember, the more you isolate yourself--and this is what depression tends to do--the more you will increase emotional and physical stress. Saying how you really feel (especially what you fear and how angry you may be) to someone you are confident of being with, is an excellent antidote for your grief and to deal with depression. And, forgiving yourself and others, will also release depressed feelings.Use a universal treatment for depression: exercise. Physical activity will have an affect on brain chemistry and help in the management of depression. Take 10-15 minute walks, preferably with someone. This will activate your endorphins and affect mood.

What? Men don't get depressed? Of course we do, but we tend to hide it well.Men tend to deal with depression differently than women and may show different signs that they are depressed. Depression is often a hidden problem with men, since many men tend to suffer in silence, rather than talking about their feelings.And that can lead to relationship problems.Historically, depression has been thought of as mostly a problem for women, but now we know that depression is a problem for men, too. Depression in men may go undetected. In fact, men may not realize they are depressed, although they may recognize they are feeling stressed. And their health care providers often miss the telltale signs.Depression is a normal part of life. Yet, if it goes unresolved, it can have a disastrous affect on personal functioning, relationships and careers. It can result in temporary personality changes, uncharacteristic bouts of anger and moodiness, create communication problems, spur conflict, and lead to relationship problems or marital distress. Thus, depression is a condition that must be recognized and treated for men to function on their highest level.What Are The Signs?

Start learning to tolerate uncertainty. This can be accomplished by turning toward your spiritual and symbolic beliefs. You will increase your options by letting your spiritual beliefs guide you and strengthen your faith that you will get through this hurtful loss. Know what you can and cannot control. You can control how you deal with major changes; you cannot control what others say and do or what has already happened.

Depression is an unsound mental health condition that spares nobody. Depression can alter a persons actions and can easily be seen by the way he does the things he usually does. It can affect sleeping and eating habits, as well as how he thinks and deals with others. This mental condition is often behind a persons pessimism and sudden loss of self-assurance. A person afflicted by depression isolates himself from his social network.Depression changes a persons social skills and makes it hard for him to relate with other people. The person will eventually develop pessimism and become short-tempered. His hopelessness will become visible by the way he interacts with other people. When this is already happening, one must know on how to deal with depression.

Many people do not know how to deal with depression. It was perceived that depression is just a normal episode in our everyday life. Knowing how to deal with depression must always begin in figuring out the signs of depression. Various perceptible indications of depression are weight loss or gain, changes in the usual appetite, insomnia or excessive sleeping, low self-esteem, feeling of insignificance and desperation, loss of interest in the activities he is fond of doing, short-tempered, loss of focus, short attention span, chronic low energy, obvious cynicism and melancholy. When these are being manifested by somebody you know, that person might be down with depression.

Refuse to withdraw from life; make connections and express your feelings to a support group or to your best friend. If your depressive symptoms go on for more than a couple of months, be sure to consult a professional counselor. You can get through this darkness and into the light by taking action early (don't wait for it to worsen) to deal with this pervasive emotion.Let's face it. Life can be difficult to cope with at the best of times and we can often go through a variety of different moods, even on a daily basis. We're all familiar with feeling happy and we're all familiar with feeling sad. Of course it goes without saying where we would rather be. Nothing can compare, however, with the sense of depression after a breakup. This can truly be one of the lowest points of your life and can be very difficult to deal with. Sometimes it can feel as if you are on your own and you don't know where to turn.

Also, long-term depression can keep a relationship down. It is difficult for the non-depressed spouse to keep a positive attitude when he/she has to deal with an unhappy, sad or anxious spouse who has been depressed for a long time. Frequently, the spouse of the depressed person will blame himself/herself or interpret the depressed spouse's actions as a rejection.Suggestions,Depressed men may not know they are depressed and may not recognize the signs, and often choose not to talk about the problem. Yet depression can have a derogatory affect on relationships, careers and all areas of life.To help a depressed man, look for signs of depression, such as behavioral changes, and talk to the depressed man in a sympathetic way. Avoid allowing depression to remain in the closet. Give the man in your life, whether it be your husband, father, brother or friend, lots of support and encouragement. Establish communication about your concerns.

If you have been in a very long-term relationship you feel as if you have a significant gap in your life after you break up. It's that empty feeling that can help to fuel depression, but it's important that you be proactive if you're to cut short an extended period of healing. Can you get involved in other pastimes, or interact with different friends or other acquaintances who may not directly remind you of your ex? Maybe it's time for you to take up another hobby or pastime, but any way you look at it, it's important that you try and occupy your time as much as possible.Don't beat yourself up over whatever has happened. If your relationship truly is over, then you should try and part company on good terms and there may well be time for you to foster a good friendship with your ex in the future. There again, after a period of reflection both of you might believe that there is something to be salvaged here and you might find that you are both stronger as a consequence of this traumatic period of your life.Depression can appear to be all-consuming and no matter what you try and do you might not think that you can shake it. Always remember that time heals everything, including depression and the most important thing that you can do is to occupy your time as best you can with positive and nurturing experiences. Remember that everything is fixable and that if you maintain as positive an outlook as you can, then strength will carry you through this.




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