For us age 65 and older our vulnerability to depression seems to increase. When we reach our senior years the environments that most of us find ourselves in are ideal for depression to silently move in. In most cases our children have all grown up and their dependence of us has evaporated, due to their busy life we are lucky if we get a chance to see them once a month. Also, many of us may have a spouse that has passed on, so that silent void can be very disturbing, as we are use to always having that support. In addition, as we age we become more prone to illness which is frustrating to go threw alone. As you can see, as we become age 65 and older, our daily life is ripe for depression to set in, but there are steps that we can include into our daily life to live a happy successful life and fight off depression.
When fighting depression, you must first determine the differences from sadness and depression. As a human being, we all get sad, sadness is not all bad, and is apart of life. A mother hearing the news that her son has lost his job, may suffer from sadness, she will not be physically in pain but mentally she will suffer for her child. The main way to separate the two is to understand that sadness will pass; sadness is due to circumstance, and after time you will find that normality will set back in. Depression has the same feelings and symptoms of sadness but seems to never disappear, and will most likely get worse as time goes by and consume your life. Some of the most common signs of depression are inability to sleep, no clarity of mind, and most importantly the feeling that nothing will seem to lift your mood.
For those that are having symptoms of depression, you should see your Doctor to rule out any biological causes.
Stay in touch: Most research shows that depression sets in when we feel less involved with our world. Get connected with your community and stay in touch with friends and family. You may even want to take up a part-time job if possible. There are many ways for us to utilize our time. As we know keeping ourselves secluded from the world will cause loneliness then depression.
Allow the creative side in you to come out. Do you have a hobby? If not, then search for one, creativity does wonders toward combating depression. Art, writing, guitar playing, these are all things that one can do to help minimize depression.
So many times we associate having fun and being happy with youth, but as we now know that is not true. As the old saying goes, “it’s not how old you are but how old you feel”. Think back to what you enjoyed when you were young and passionate about life, and go back to encounter those activities again. Being old does not have to mean no passion or purpose for life. Maybe you were once a surfer or loved to work on your 55 Chevy, well whatever it was it brought passion and meaning to your life.
We all know we should exercise regularly, but so many of us even dread the obstacle of searching for the channel changer to change the channel on TV, let alone exercise. The fact is regular exercise is good for our health both physically and mentally. Exercise is depressions worse enemy. Make sure to always consult your Doctor before starting any exercise routine.
Be happy and live your life to the fullest. Getting old does not have to mean getting depressed. We all have a choice as to how we live our life and perceive our world.
