Senior to Senior: Mental Health

Mental Health. We hear a lot about mental health issues these days. Is it an excuse for bad behavior or is something going on that we don’t understand? Young people are the main concern of course, but that said, there is no age limit, seniors are at risk too. Most seniors aren’t going to lash out at others, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t experiencing anxiety and depression. Seniors have many issues to deal with and most of them are real downers. If you aren’t dealing with anxiety and/or depression associated with physical health problems, chronic pain, side effects from medications, social isolation and loss, you are a very strong person. Doctors, family members, and advice columnists recommend counseling, which sounds good on paper. However, there aren’t enough therapists to go around, and sliding scale or not, many seniors cannot afford counseling. The other concern is that they (we) were brought up to believe that you don’t “air dirty laundry” in public. Words like anxiety and depression were not in our vocabulary. Ergo, without a diagnosis, it does not exist. Denial or not, it’s hard not to feel anxious and a little depressed these days. It may be of the global doom and gloom variety, or it may be closer to home. Fear of falling, cost of living, being dependent on others, being alone or being victimized, are enough to make anyone a little nuts. Who do you turn to if family members and doctors suggest that you need to get a grip? Can you help yourself? Support groups and self-help materials abound. Whatever happened to talking to God? It may not occur to you to think of God as a therapist, but back in the day, folks found meditation and prayer a powerful way to deal with anxiety and stress. Self-help guru’s suggest breathing exercises, cutting back on news and social media time, and focusing more on self-care, but if anxiety and depression are still ruling your life, know that you ae not alone, and that resorting to therapy is not shameful.