Overcoming Depression in Senior Years

Everyone gets sad now and then. When sadness persists for more than two weeks and interferes with daily life, it becomes clinical depression, which means the chemical balance in the brain changes for the worse. That “interfering” can show itself in a combination of these: feeling slowed down, losing interest in pleasant activities, gaining or losing weight, sleeping too much, feeling worthless, pacing or fidgeting, worrying too much about money or health. Up to 25 percent of seniors experience depression.

Depression is often the result of not coping well with loss. Seniors are vulnerable loss of spouse, home, health, mobility, or driver’s license. Coping with multiple losses is extremely difficult.

Here are some very practical things seniors can do to combat depression. Get a pet. Get outdoors. Get moving. Get involved. Keep busy. Involve yourself in community. Help others. Avoid escapism. Talk with friends and family. Collect inspirational thoughts. Join social groups. Participate in a worship community. Tell your life story. Find solutions by listening to what others have done. Get to your doctor.

An organization in Seattle teaches problem-solving. The first step has the senior get to the bottom of what is really bothering. Next step is finding one way to begin overcoming the issue, then applying it. Someone described dealing with one issue at a time as being like “breaking the bundle one stick at a time.”

Severe clinical depression is time to get help. Overcoming the stigma and embarrassment can be a big leap for seniors. Only half of seniors with depression get treatment. Today there are effective medications and therapies. Taking antidepressants can be a short-term “hand-up,” not a life sentence. Seniors, take responsibility for feeling better. Make changes. Ask for help.