The symptoms of senile depression are different from the symptoms of depression in younger people. They are easy to overlook because they are often confused with the typical symptoms of aging such as memory problems, concentration problems, weakness, sleep disturbances, muscle aches. Untreated senile depression is very dangerous - it leads to suicide attempts more often than in younger ones, which in this age group result in death in as many as half of the cases.

Starcza depressionaffects every third Polish senior citizen. It is a serious social problem, although little is said about it. People over 65 who suffer from depression, as a rule, go unnoticed - even their relatives, preoccupied with their own affairs, rarely react to symptoms of this disease in their parents, grandmothers or grandparents. Meanwhile, the lack of interest from the environment, a sense of rejection and loneliness deepen the depressive mood and may exacerbate the course of other diseases that an elderly person has to deal with. In addition, they significantly increase the risk of self-destructive behavior, including suicide attempts.

Sufficient depression - symptoms

Depression symptoms in old age are often confused with natural cognitive decline and loss of physical strength in the elderly. Hence, difficulties arise with unequivocally classifying them as symptoms of depression. They can concern both the mental and physical sphere of a person, which is why they can be easily taken as a manifestation of a somatic disease.

The typical symptoms of senile depression include:

  • mood disorders: sadness, depression, anxiety, fear;
  • insomnia or disturbed sleep patterns (e.g. very early wake up in the morning, going to sleep during the day);
  • apathy, dementia, lack of interest, difficulty making decisions.

The above symptoms are often accompanied by less characteristic symptoms, associated with the natural mechanisms of aging:

  • psychomotor slowness - slow movement, lethargy, chronic fatigue, quiet speech, which are usually read as signs of weakness;
  • problems with memory and concentration - they can be easily confused with senile dementia, while the patient may have a fully functional mind, and the above-mentioned symptoms may only be the result of poor mental condition;
  • pains of various origins - they are often read as symptomsdeveloping somatic diseases, e.g. rheumatism, problems with the digestive, nervous and cardiovascular systems; however, these may be signs of depression in the form of physical pain;
  • irritability, tendency to complain, hypochondria - behind similar complaints there may be a desire for contact, demand for attention and care from loved ones.

In advanced depression, the patient is completely indifferent and ceases to see the sense in taking care of himself and his surroundings. He can lie in bed all day, do not clean, eat or drink little, do not follow the rules of hygiene. In such a situation, he is exposed to a sudden deterioration of his he alth, and in extreme cases even to death.

Worth knowing

In the elderly, psychotic depression is a common form of depression. It is accompanied, apart from the symptoms mentioned above, by nihilistic delusions (the patient begins to doubt his existence, and even the whole world), hypochondriacal delusions, and auditory hallucinations. Cognitive impairment is also intensified.

This type of depression is associated with a greater risk of suicide, and if symptoms persist, it can become a serious mental illness.

Sufficient depression - causes

Among the causes of senile depression in the first place are loneliness, alienation, the belief that you are unimportant and unnecessary. The patient has low self-esteem and blames himself for being a burden to his family, which is forced to look after him due to incapacity and poor he alth. In such a situation, the attitude of relatives is key - it is the lack of interest on their part in most cases responsible for the development of depression in seniors.

Factors independent of the patient and their environment may also contribute to the appearance of senile depression. -The biologically determined risk factors include genetic factors, earlier occurrence of mental disorders, also undiagnosed and untreated, biological changes related to the process of "non-physiological" aging, as well as somatic diseases, especially diabetes, and medications used in their therapy, which are often depressogenic- explains Dr. Patryk Piotrowski from the Medical University in Wrocław. At the same time, elderly people who are in a difficult financial or life situation are more exposed to the occurrence of depressive symptoms. Lack of money, change of the current place of residence (e.g. transfer to a nursing home) or loss of a loved one are important factors that deepen depression. The aforementioned problems particularly affect women, who, according to estimates, are much more commonare struggling with this condition.- Remember that women tend to lose partners sooner, and loneliness, a strong stress factor, is one of the main causes of depression. Women also experience more strongly than men that children start to lead their own lives- notes Dr. Piotrowski.

Sufficient depression - treatment

In the treatment of senile depression, the patient's contact with the environment is particularly important. In the elderly, depression and apathy most often result from a feeling of loneliness and abandonment, which is why it is so important to show them constant interest.

If we suspect symptoms of depression in a loved one, try to react in time, e.g. by visiting more often, making regular telephone calls, offering your help with shopping or cleaning. During the conversation, let us patiently listen to what our parents or grandparents have to tell us. At the same time, let us encourage them to be more active - meeting friends, walking, doing sports. If possible, let them get interested, for example, in gardening or reading books. In the course of mild senile depression, these seemingly simple activities can restore the older person's willingness to live and the feeling of being needed.

In the case of more severe depression, effective treatment requires the use of pharmacological agents. An elderly person should be consulted with a specialist (preferably a psychiatrist) who, after an interview, will prescribe appropriate antidepressant medications. The substances contained in them balance the level of neurotransmitters in the brain, thus improving the well-being. However, it must be remembered that drug therapy is not a substitute for a real interpersonal relationship. For the effects of treatment to be permanent, it is necessary to pay more attention to the patient and maintain regular contact with him.

Press materials

Depression suffers as much as 15-30 percent. people over 65 years of age

Lifestyle.newseria.pl

Category:

Psychiatry