Depression signs in elderly, ms and depression anxiety - Within Minutes

Don’t be too quick to dismiss the sudden moodiness, withdrawal or incessant complaints about aches and pains from your elderly parents. In Singapore, depression strikes about six per cent of the elderly population aged 65 and above. If depression is left untreated, it can adversely affect the elderly person’s ability to recover from serious medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease, adds Dr Mamun. Medications used to treat Parkinson disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can also trigger or worsen depression. Those patients who do not respond to antidepressant therapy or can not tolerate these medications or those at high risk of suicide, may benefit from other forms of treatment like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).Non-medical approaches to treat depression include counselling and psychotherapy. Start exercisingEngage in gentle physical exercises to relieve symptoms of depression (e.g. Get out of the houseA dose of sunshine can brighten the mood of an elderly person suffering from depression. I would like to write an entire blog post myself on depression in the elderly, but it’s past time for me to work on her physical therapy exercises and I have to get her to the bathroom before we start. Depression in Older Adults and the Elderly: Recognize the Signs and Find Treatment that Works.
This entry was posted on May 18, 2013, in Depression in the Elderly and tagged Depression, Depression in the elderly, elder care, elderly, grief, Health, Mental health, senior health, seniors, suicide prevention. Older people are at risk for depression, are underserved by the mental health profession, and have the highest rates of suicide in the country. De–stress your life, sleep better, and conquer depression with the latest news and insights on mood management, plus special offers.
Children, adolescents, and young adults who are prescribed antidepressant medication should be carefully monitored by both their parents and doctor, especially during the first few months of treatment, for any worsening of depression symptoms or changes in behavior.

Major depression in the elderly or in people with serious illness may reduce survival rates, even independently of any accompanying illness. Data suggest that depression itself may be a risk factor for heart disease as well as its increased severity. While the evidence is less conclusive, studies also indicate that depression in healthy people may increase the risk for developing heart disease.
Studies are now showing that depression may contribute to poor outcomes for patients with heart disease. Depression does not increase the risk for cancer, but cancer can physically trigger depression by affecting chemicals in the brain.
Many people with major depression also have an alcohol use disorder or drug abuse problems. Depression is a well-known risk factor for smoking, and many people with major depression are nicotine dependent. These may be signs of elderly depression, a serious medical condition which can be prevented and treated. According to a 2010 report published in the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, depression worsens the outlook for elderly patients with heart failure. Being diagnosed with a serious medical illness such as cancer or having recently suffered from a disability such as stroke and heart attack can bring about depression. My elderly mother had fallen and due to the neglect of my father, had spent 5 hours crawling around on the floor trying to get up. But many seniors are resistant to treatment because they don't want to burden their families, or equate depression with weakness or even death. Decreased physical activity and social involvement certainly play a role in the association between depression and illness severity.


Conversely, obese people are about 25% more likely than non-obese people to develop depression or other mood disorders.
Depression in the elderly is associated with a decline in mental functioning, regardless of the presence of dementia.
Studies on the connections between alcohol dependence and depression have still not resolved whether one causes the other or if they both share some common biologic factor. Nicotine may stimulate receptors in the brain that improve mood in some people with depression. About a third of patients with a single episode of major depression will have another episode within 1 year after discontinuing treatment, and more than half will have a recurrence at some point in their lives. Suicide is most commonly associated with depression in young people but it is also linked with anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, or impulsivity.
Feeling connected with parents and family can help protect young people with depression from suicide. Depression is a serious issue in the elderly, and one that is often over looked by people who mean well, but focus on other, more acute, easier to detect issues. Depression is more likely to recur if the first episode was severe or prolonged, or if there have been prior recurrences. To date, even newer antidepressants have failed to achieve permanent remission in many patients with major depression, although the standard medications are very effective in treating and preventing acute episodes.

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