Anxiety and depression in advancing years

Anxiety and depression in people of advanced years

CONTENTS :- general information, recognition of symptoms, how to alleviate the problems

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:-
1) Irritability
2) Irrational fear of going out
3) Slowing of mental process
4) Distrust of others

DESCRIPTION

Anxiety in the over 60’s tends to be of the “worst case; what if” type
If I go on this coach trip there might be an accident, or I might be left behind. If I go out in the car it might break down. The bank might go bust and I can not get any money etc. The chances of these things happening are very slight and so logic and rational thinking say they can be ignored but to a person with anxiety problems these are real tangible possibilities; attempting to use rational argument will not work as the reaction will be “you can not be certain it will not happen”
Many of the anxieties that affect older people, and often adversely affect their relationship with those who love and care for them; are centred around a fear of becoming forgetful and/or a fear of having their money stolen.
We all forget things from time to time but mostly pass this off as just a fact of life, for those suffering from anxiety this becomes a real fear that they are becoming senile and suffering from dementia. One fear, that is based on reality, is a fear of being hurt in a fall. A fall by an elderly person can have repercussions far worse than a similar fall would have in a younger person. In addition to broken bones that take much longer to heal, is the fear that they will fall any time they engage in some form of activity. They stagnate due to this fear and become physically frail, feeding the fear and it all becomes a downward spiral. In my part of the UK the NHS has a web site devoted to this problem and possible solutions
Causes
.Why do people of any age become anxious to the point where it has an adverse affect of their lives? The answer seems to lie in a combination of low self esteem and a perception that they- the victim- have lost control of their own life.
SOLUTIONS
Do things to enhance your own self esteem, do things that give small levels of satisfaction and success and build on these slowly. Try to keep control of your own life. Use the network of friends and contacts you have built up over many years. Learn to use E mail and keep in touch with people you may have only exchanged Christmas cards with for years. If you care for an elderly person suffering from anxiety, then try to find things they can do and make sure they realize they have done it. Help them be self sufficient rather than dependent. It can be frustrating standing by, while a person of any age takes a while to do something that you can do quickly, but remember it is their life, their self esteem, their control over themselves that is important.
As an older person try to keep yourself active physically and mentally. If you do have a fall, then the use of support bandages with magnetic strips inserted in them, on injured joints, allow a faster return to normal activity. Anecdotal evidence, tells us that the use of the high quality Active bracelets from Magnetic Therapy Ltd. can be very beneficial in retaining activity levels. This is probably due to the generally uplifting benefits of improved circulation of blood and energy.
CONCLUSIONS
Use Magnetic Therapy to stay active, keep the circulation going, and keep using the mind- do puzzles, sudoku, crosswords, Eat a healthy diet. Take the trouble to cook and look after yourself. Make the effort. Surf the net, use your local library. Get in touch with your local Age Concern; Join your local over 60’s group. All these things help prevention and reduce the levels of the condition.
Go to www.magnetictherapy.co.uk for further information

-DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS INCLUDE
1) withdrawn and sullen reaction to normal events
2) irritability
3) social distrust
4) attention seeking and inconsiderate demands
5) difficulty sleeping
6) low self esteem

DESCRIPTION
This is quite a difficult condition to define absolutely, in some ways the symptoms shown above are a description. People who suffer depression are often people with “expedient” natures, I am not sure if this is a cause or an effect but they tend to only act for the short term. A person suffering from depression can have irrational bursts of bad temper, mostly aimed at the person who cares. In a way similar to anxiety, the person who seems to “suffer” most is the one who loves the victim. The patient will often have an inability to consistently carry through courses of treatment, giving up at first sign of a problem or if they think taking too long without effect. This can make solutions more difficult that need be. While many younger people suffer from depression, those in older age seem to often go undiagnosed. There are several reasons for this, one is the victims tend to suffer in silence, they become good at acting. Another reason is that they are often living alone and no one sees the pain they feel. It is also true that many younger people dismiss all difficulties as due to their age, as if this is a valid reason for ignoring the problem.
CAUSES
Why do people of any age become depressed to the point where it has an adverse affect of their lives? The answer seems to lie in a combination of low self esteem and a perception that they- the victim- have lost control of their own life. The mind and body fail to respond in the way they used to and a mind set of despair and failure sets in.
There is some evidence for thinking that diet may be a contributing factor, but some people seem to have unusual diets and never suffer. The individual ability to metabolise the necessary chemicals from food is just that; individual and so is the ability to cope with adversity. Very high achieving people have later disclosed they suffered bad depressive episodes. People, who seem to have it all and be in firm control, often, have extreme depressing periods. Self doubt does not recognise social or financial boundaries.
SOLUTIONS
If you are the victim, do things to enhance your own self esteem. Try to keep control of your own life. Use the network of friends and contacts you have built up over many years, try to keep yourself active physically and mentally. Magnetic Therapy can be very beneficial in retaining activity levels. This is probably due to the generally uplifting benefits of improved circulation of blood and energy.
If you care for an elderly person you think may be suffering from depression, then try to find things they can do and make sure they realize they have done it. Help them be self sufficient rather than dependent. If possible get them to consult a medical practitioner to check out the body chemistry- many of the symptoms are the same as some diabetic conditions.

CONCLUSIONS
Accept that life is full of ups and downs and consider that if we raise the height of the top of the up then the bottom of the down is a long way to fall. May be that in some cases it is better to lift the height of the bottom of the down so that all is on a more even footing and much less liable to fluctuation
Use Magnetic Therapy to stay active, keep the circulation going, try something new, it does not matter what.
Go to www.magnetictherapy.co.uk for further information