Consumer Information Center If you are over 65 and feeling

Return to Savvy Consumer Information Center - Home Page

If you are over 65 and feeling depressed. Treatment Brings New Hope. National Institute of Mental Health

DEPRESSION IS NOT A NORMAL PART OF AGING.

Depression. The darkest moods. Feeling down, empty. Difficulty remembering. Many things just don't interest you any more. Aches and pains that keep coming back. Depression that goes on and on and on for weeks and months is called clinical depression. Most people think of depression only as sadness and low mood, but clinical depression is far more than the ordinary "down" moods everyone experiences now and then, and which pass after a visit with a friend or a good movie. Depression is also more than a feeling of grief after losing someone you love. Following such a loss, for many people, a depressed mood is a normal reaction to grief. And these people may find it helpful to join a mutual support group, such as widowed-persons, to talk with others experiencing similar feelings. However, when a depressed mood continues for some time, whether following a particular event or for no apparent reason, the person may be suffering from clinical depression--an illness that can be treated effectively.

Clinical depression can affect the way you think and the way you feel, both physically and emotionally. It isn't "normal" to feel depressed all the time when you get older; in fact, most older people feel satisfied with their lives. Nonetheless, among people 65 and over, nearly 6 out of 100 suffer from clinical depression. It can be serious and can even lead to suicide. But there is good news. Nearly 80 percent of people with clinical depression can be treated successfully with medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Even the most serious depressions usually respond rapidly to the right treatment. But first, depression has to be recognized. Ann's daughter thought her 73-year-old widowed mother was getting senile because she was so confused and forgetful. Ann had seemed to recover well from the death of her husband 3 years before, but lately she cried about him almost every day. Her daughter arranged for Ann to see a geriatric specialist who diagnosed Ann's condition as depression, not senility. He put her on medication and suggested that she join a widow-to-widow support group. Before long, Ann's memory improved along with her mood.

Types of Clinical Depression

Two serious types of clinical depression are major depression and bipolar disorder. Major Depression: Major depression makes it almost impossible to carry on usual activities, sleep, eat, or enjoy life. Pleasure seems a thing of the past. This type of depression can occur once in a lifetime or, for many people, it can recur several times. People with a major depression need professional treatment.

Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness): Another type of depression, bipolar disorder--or manic-depressive illness--leads to severe mood swings, from extreme "lows" to excessive "highs." These states of extreme elation and unbounded energy are called mania. This disorder usually starts when people are in their early twenties. Though unusual for this type of depression to start for the first time in later life, it requires medical treatment, whatever the person's age. A Depression Symptoms Checklist Depression Shares Symptoms with Other Medical Conditions

Return to Savvy Consumer Information Center - Home Page

Search this site: Match ALL words Match ANY word Get the Savvy Consumer Newsletter! (FREE)