Depression is not a normal part of aging. Yet depression is a widely under recognized and under treated medical illness.
At your next doctor's visit, BEFORE you say, "I am fine," ask yourself if you feel:
Guilty or worthless
Nervous or "empty"
Very tired and slowed down
You don't enjoy things the way you used to.
Restless or irritable
Like no one loves you
Like life is not worth living
Or if you are:
Sleeping more or less than usual
Eating more or less than usual
Having persistent headaches, stomach aches, or chronic pain
These may be signs of depression, a treatable medical illness. Talk to a doctor or other health care professional.
Depression often co-occurs with other serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer,and Parkinson's disease. Because many older adults face these illnesses as well
as various social and economic difficulties, health care
professionals may mistakenly conclude that depression
is a normal consequence of these problems—an attitude often shared by patients themselves. These factors together contribute to the under diagnosis and under treatment of depressive disorders in older people. Depression can and should be treated when it co-occurs with other illnesses, for untreated depression can delay recovery from or worsen the outcome of these other illnesses.
