Mental Health Matters: Seniors and dealing with grief

By Medicine Hat News on April 28, 2018.

Seniors go through a lot of changes in their lives. Chronic illness, loss of health, death of a loved one, retirement, loss of independence, loss of mobility, and loss of home can all occur during the transition into one’s older years. Many of these changes, or losses, can cause grief.

If not dealt with appropriately, these changes can have a lasting impact on people’s mental health and can lead to depression.

It is important to consider the difference between grief and depression. The sadness associated with loss and everyday blues is different than depression. It is possible for a sad or grieving person to continue with regular activities and lifestyles whereas a person who is depressed is dealing with symptoms that directly interfere with their ability to function in their normal life.

So what do these symptoms look like? You may want to ask yourself if you are experiencing the following:

* Severe feelings of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness, severe guilt, lasting longer than two weeks

* Fatigue and/or insomnia, lack of energy … can’t accomplish anything

* Isolation, change of appetite

* Unexplainable aches and pains

* Irritability and restlessness, especially in men

* Loss of interest in things that were once pleasurable

Mental illness is not discriminatory — it knows no age limits, economic status, race, religion, etc. There is no single cause of mental illness; we have chemicals in our brains that help control our moods, and sometimes we do not have enough of these chemicals or our brains aren’t responding to them properly. Mental illness can be genetic, it can pass through generations or skip them; many associate that idea with the “it runs through my family” statement. Mental illness can also relate to the amount of stress in one’s life or their life changes, which is the main causal focus for this article. Chronic or serious illness is the most common cause of depression in the elderly population.

Depression affects 15 out of every 100 adults over the age of 65. When we concentrate just on people in hospital or nursing homes, that percentage rises significantly. That may seem shocking, but depression is not a normal part of aging; it is a treatable medical illness, much like high blood pressure or sciatica.

There is treatment available for depression — cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, or a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

It may be a grueling treatment process, but the end result of being able to enjoy the golden years is priceless. Talk to your doctor or call your local mental health line at 1-877-303-2642 today to begin your journey back to strong mental health.

Mila Joubert is the mental health educator of Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Southeast Region and can be reached at 403-504-1811. To find out more about CMHA-ASER and their programs check outwww.cmha-aser.ca. If you are in an immediate crisis, please contact 911 or phone the crisis line @ 1-800-784-2433 or 1-877-303-2642.

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