Depression In The Elderly
If you think that depression runs only in children, adolescents or middle-aged adults facing a midlife crisis, then think again. The elderly are very prone to depression for many reasons. You would think that by reaching your 80s or 90s, you would be happy to have lived such a long life and have experienced many decades full of excitement and technological changes and advancements. But depression is depression and like I always like to say, it has no boundaries!
Mental illness does not care whether you’re good-looking, ugly, poor, rich, tall, short, 97 or 10 years of age . . . it attempts to hook you and keep a strong grasp on you until one of three things happen: you successfully recover, you continue to be tortured by living symptomatically or you kill yourself. Obviously mental illness prefers option number two and three; successfully recovering means that mental illness has failed and has to go looking for another potential victim.
Depression in the elderly happens for many reasons. Even those who have lived prosperous lives can fall into depression when they become old. Remember that the brain ages and when it does so, it starts to malfunction along with the senses. The body also becomes weaker. But one thing that remains the same is the soul, so when the soul recognizes that the mind and body are falling apart, it becomes vulnerable to sadness.
So even the elderly experience suicidal ideations of wishing to be dead, “I’ve lived long enough . . . I’m better off dead.” But they don’t actually want to die because after they receive some Lexapro and Seroquel into their system, they start to feel much better and deny feeling depressed or suicidal. But if they lack a strong psychosocial support system, they may fall in-between the cracks and unfortunately pass away.
That’s why it’s very important to keep in touch with any elders who you may know and constantly check in with them regarding how they’re feeling. The elderly may no longer have facial expressions or a body language that is obvious in regards to depression; they may just sit there with a blank facial expression entertaining various ways of ending their lives, such as mixing their pills with a bottle of Jack and overdosing in the middle of the night.
Just because grandpa or grandma has reached an impressive age of 97 does not mean that you should assume that “they’re doing great mentally . . . oh no, they would never do that doc!” The reality is that yes they would, given the opportunity, right setting and tools. Just as high blood pressure (hypertension) is known as the silent killer in physical health, so is depression in mental health.
The elderly depend on us just as how our children do so as well. We cannot leave anyone behind!
Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)
DSM (Defeating Stigma Mindfully) 
I’ve noticed that with some of the ederly throughout the years not necessarily to the point of suicide but the giving up phase.
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I agree. I’ve heard many of my older relatives say in the past that once you get to a certain age you just feel like it’s your time to go. And I wouldn’t say they deny it once they’re given meds (although I don’t know that from experience because I don’t think any of mine ever took meds), I’d say it’s more of a life realization. They don’t want to live to be 108. Their body isn’t keeping up, their mind isn’t what they want it to be. They don’t feel needed or wanted anymore. I think it’s just a natural way of coming to terms with the end of a lifespan.
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Interesting perspective. Yeah it’s easy for us to comment but different when we actually reach that age. Maybe for some, they want to live as long as possible.
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No, you are right. I can’t make a blanket statement about it. I’m sure it varies by individual.
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Another observation I have noticed among healthy elderly and elderly with health issues due to lifestyle choices is the difference between their optimism, thought process and quality of life.
Like with younger people, those elderly who choose more positive lifestyle choices like a healthy diet, fitness, stress management and giving themselves a purpose in life tend to be happier and strive for life even well into their 80s.
I believe it’s many reasons that contributes to the mentality that can plague the elderly. It’s a shame because those who are in their 60s and older can have so much to share with the youth.
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I agree. It’s hard for us to understand and everyone is different. Same can apply to young people: why are some children depressed and not others? So many factors at play.
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