Depression in old age

Depression in old age. Depressive disorders. Timely diagnosis and adequate treatment of depression.
Depression in old age, there very often. We can say that people over 55 years, the most common ailment. According to the World Health Organization, depressive symptoms occur in 40 - 45% of elderly patients, a doctor in connection with various diseases.

The main reason for the development of depressive disorders in this age is the situation of their own aging - increasing physical infirmity, the difficulties of self, difficulty in communicating due to pronounced weakening of eyesight and hearing, loneliness. In addition, aging is rich in various losses such as grief over the death of a loved one, possible illness of spouse, separation from children, deprivation and loss of social status.

Developing depression, usually slowly. Gradually increasing oppression, unfounded or exaggerated fears for their health, family status, material well-being. Older people are immersed in thoughts about the loss in the past, the present insolvency and irrelevance. They are absorbed by the internal work of the body, convinced that they have severe disease. Everything that is happening in the outside world to be minor and uninteresting. Attempts to support, reassure, that person seems insincere, stupid, empty, and often give the opposite effect.

Most older person's mood may be normal and natural. Offer psychological assistance to or receiving antidepressants these people categorically rejected. The relatives are surprised when they reported that such a painful condition can be interpreted as depressive disorder.

Depression in old age is characterized by a combination of anxiety and depression. Replete with vague feelings of apprehension, waiting for all the misfortunes. Especially they are amplified in the evening and night hours. Sick sob, wail, stonut, nervous look around, stupid, or wander mechutsya on the premises. Alarmingly, dreary state is combined with slow toneless speech, lethargy, sedentary.

Old people sure hopelessness of their situation, it seems that the sad state will last forever, life has never been and will not be another (there are not happy do not enjoy). A typical complaint of painful feeling of emptiness today. The greater part of the day patients spent in bed, not interested in going around and ignore the rules of personal hygiene. Often such patients are saying: I torment their home, they would be better off without me.

In these cases, especially high risk of suicide associated with the ideas of self, a sense of hopelessness, despair and loneliness. The most frequent suicidal thoughts occur in older people with depression combined with severe chronic bodily ailment.

When depression is always disturbed sleep, dominated by intermittent night sleep and early awakening to feel unwell in the mornings. Contrary to popular myth, the elderly need to sleep as much as they slept at a younger age, if not more.

Often, when a late depression to the forefront of a complaint to make a bad memory, disorientation, difficulty concentrating. However, these violations are not a sign of dementia and are reversible.

Timely diagnosis and adequate treatment to cope with later depression. Apart from the compulsory treatment of patients with antidepressants need psychological help. In the course of treatment is gradually returned to the desire to live, to be useful, something to help their loved ones, to enjoy life.