People often think that depression in older adults is a normal response to the losses of aging. When they say, for example, “It’s no wonder he’s depressed, he’s 82,” or “If I had arthritis, I’d probably be depressed too,” they may mean well, but depression is not normal.
An older adult may be
severely depressed if he or she:
does not get dressed
does not answer the
phone or the door
loses interest in
activities he or she used to enjoy
expresses feelings of
worthlessness and sadness
has unusual outbursts
of crying, agitation or anger, or shows little emotion
sleeps poorly or too
much
eats more or less than
usual
complains
about physical symptoms that do not have a cause
lacks
energy, is often tired
seems
confused
has
difficulty concentrating
has
trouble remembering things
has
trouble making decisions or following through with plans
spends
more time alone
Article originally appeared at: https://www.camh.ca/ Author: The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
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