Dr Tim And Mrs Noreen Muehlhoff
Dr. Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California where he teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication, apologetics, gender, and conflict resolution. Tim and his wife, Noreen, are both on staff with Biolas Center for Marriage and Relationships where he is a co-host of The Art of Relationship podcast.
Allocate The Person A Chore
Entrusting a senior with responsibility minimizes the time they can potentially spend wallowing in negative thoughts. For example, you could have the senior walk the family dog every evening or give them some other low-intensity chore. Besides keeping the person active, it also shows them that they are useful and can contribute to the family or society. Additionally, you could assign the senior an indoor plant to take care of.
How Tai Chi Could Ease Depression In The Elderly
Kristie Leong M.D. is a family practitioner who believes in the power of nutrition and a healthy lifestyle to prevent and fight illness.
Did you know that older people account for 16% of the suicides in this country? According to the National Council on Aging, people over the age of 85 have the highest rate of suicide, more than four times the rate of the general population. Two factors that contribute to depression in the elderly are loneliness and health problems.
Unfortunately, the anti-depressant drugs most doctors prescribe to treat depression can have serious side effects in older people. Elderly people who take these medications may experience confusion and constipation, and have an increased fall risk. While these side effects are generally mild and manageable, they can be more severe in some individuals.
Is there a natural way to treat depression in older people? Research suggests that tai chi could be of benefit to older people experiencing symptoms of depression.
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What Stops Some Depressed Seniors From Getting Help
In the 65 and older age bracket, only 38% of adults believe that depression is a medical problem, and only 42% say they would seek help from a medical professional, according to Mental Health America.
There are some myths that may inhibit older adults and their care providers from seeking help for depression. They include:
- Prolonged sadness is inevitable because aging is hard.
- Symptoms must be due to some other health problem, like dementia.
- I should be able to snap out of it.
Cultural background can also be a driving force in whether older adults will seek help for mental health issues.
Mental Health America suggests Black Americans may not report symptoms if they view mental illness as weakness and treatment as a luxury.
Meanwhile, the suicide rate among white men 85 years old and older is the highest of any other demographic nearly four times larger than that of the broader population. Some think this might be because older white males believe that reaching out for help is a sign of weakness.
Older adults who are religious may see depression as a lack of faith. This can prevent them from seeking mental health help for symptoms of depression.
Depression is not connected to a lack of willpower. Life situations, medical conditions, and medications can all contribute to depression in older adults.
Friends Partners And Lovers: What It Takes To Make Your Marriage Work
Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But marriages can and will not only survive but thrive when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another. Those are the powerful words of bestselling author Gary Thomas in his newest bookCherish. And in a world desperate for marriage redemption, it is needed now more than ever. Thomas shows that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in proven, loving, and everyday actions and words.
Newest Release – Episode 2: Heroes Providing Hope
Discover the amazing work our PRCs Directors, Nurses, and Volunteers are making in their communities! Youll see firsthand testimonies of a PRC in action, and that there are other options outside of abortions! Youll also discover how your family can support your local PRC!
Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
Newest Release – Episode 4: Sometimes the Choice is Hard
Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!
Newest Release – Episode 3: The Power of a Picture
Yes, I Promise to Pray for the Pre-born and Their Moms!
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Depression In The Elderly: What It Is And Isnt
If a person is dealing with sadness or grief, that does not automatically mean theyre facing depression. While sadness and grief should be dealt with as necessary, they are not considered medical conditions.
However, depression is a treatable medical condition that negatively impacts mental health.
In contrast to sadness, depression doesnt go away on its own.
If you know an older adult who might be struggling with depression, you shouldnt assume that their feelings are temporary or simply a part of aging. Instead, depression is an unexpected health condition requiring professional care.
Consider these statistics:
- About 1%-5% of the general United States elderly population suffer from depression.
- It is possible for common late-life chronic illnesses to trigger depression.
- In the first month after the death of their spouse, one-third of widows/widowers meet criteria for depression, and half of them remain clinically depressed one year later.
Help Them Connect To A Purpose
Often, senior adults display a tendency to brood over the happenings of the past instead of employing their time on an entertaining/productive activity. Spend time with your beloved senior adults, doing crossword puzzles, reading, knitting, or baking. Better yet, entrust them with small, meaningful chores like helping with kids homework, watching over your pet, watering a plant, folding the laundry etc. to foster a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.
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Mothers And Sons: Being A Godly Influence
Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.
Learn About Depression Treatments
Much like any disorder or disease, depression requires professional treatment. In this case, that may involve a combination of therapy and antidepressant medication. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, also known as talk therapy, allows you to discuss your mental health with a professional therapist or counselor, who can help you develop the right tools and strategies to reduce depression symptoms and identify issues that may contribute to depression.
Medication can help to improve or correct hormonal and chemical balances that contribute to depression. Medication usually involves SSRIs and other antidepressants. Finding the right medication and the right dosage can take some trial and error, which is why its important to work directly with your doctor.
Specific treatments can vary from person to person, so something that works for someone else may not have the same effect on you.
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Dr Casey Noreika Psyd
Dr. Casey Noreika, PsyD, works with Clarity Clinic in Chicago.
Depression in the senior population can look different than in younger populations but is just as complex
When one thinks of depression, they often think of sadness and maybe crying or tearfulness. However, other symptoms, such as low energy or fatigue, low motivation, and irritability, are also common. Changes in sleeping habits and appetite are also important things to look for.
Handling depression as a caregiver comes with its challenges and can lead to caregiver burnout. It is important to know how to behave and care for those who are affected by depression. Be patient with your loved ones or those you care for. It is common to become frustrated, and this can impact your interactions with those you are caring for. Its especially important to try to stay calm and respond in a relaxed, even tone.
Understanding depression is difficult to overcome, and realizing depression takes away one’s desire and motivation is also key. Given these symptoms, it is best to encourage continued social interactions and activities. Initiate conversations with family, friends, or neighbors and get your loved one involved in a local senior center that provides activities and interactions with others in the same age group.
Electroconvulsive Therapy For Depression
Electroconvulsive therapy may be an option in severe cases of depression that are life-threatening and dont respond to medications. This treatment uses electrical shocks to produce monitored seizures that release certain chemicals in the brain. ECT can provide dramatic, short-term improvement for depression, and its generally considered safe for older adults.
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Senior Depression Affects Thousands But You Can Help
While senior depression is a common condition, there are things you can do to help your loved one. By offering support, taking over household tasks, facilitating appointments, and doing what you can to restore normalcy and joy to a seniors life, you can help your family member make his or her way through senior depression as gracefully as possible.
What Are Signs And Symptoms Of Depression
How do you know if you or your loved one may have depression? Does depression look different as you age? Depression in older adults may be difficult to recognize because older people may have different symptoms than younger people. For some older adults with depression, sadness is not their main symptom. They could instead be feeling more of a numbness or a lack of interest in activities. They may not be as willing to talk about their feelings.
The following is a list of common symptoms. Still, because people experience depression differently, there may be symptoms that are not on this list.
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
- Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Irritability, restlessness, or having trouble sitting still
- Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities, including sex
- Decreased energy or fatigue
- Moving or talking more slowly
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping, waking up too early in the morning, or oversleeping
- Eating more or less than usual, usually with unplanned weight gain or loss
- Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
If you have several of these signs and symptoms and they last for more than two weeks, talk with your doctor. These could be signs of depression or another health condition. Dont ignore the warning signs. If left untreated, serious depression may lead to death by suicide.
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Do You Know The Signs
Depression may sometimes be undiagnosed or misdiagnosed in some older adults because sadness is not their main symptom. They may have other, less obvious symptoms of depression or they may not be willing to talk about their feelings. It is important to know the signs and seek help if you are concerned.
Depression has many symptoms, including physical ones. If you have been experiencing several of the following symptoms for at least two weeks, you may be suffering from depression:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities
- Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Appetite and/or unintended weight changes
- Thoughts of death or suicide, suicide attempts
- Restlessness, irritability
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause and/or that do not ease even with treatment
Signs Of Depression In Elderly Adults
One of the most difficult things about dealing with aging parents is their depression. It can be hard to see them shutting down and giving up on life, especially when theyve been such active, vibrant people in the past.
But depression is a real illness, and its important to understand that your parents are going through a tough time.
Depression is a thief. It steals your days, your sleep, your laughter, your memories, and your hope.
Shane Koyczan
As our parents age, they may start to experience more health problems and emotional issues.
As a child or adult child of an aging parent, its important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of depression, as well as how you can help your parent if they are dealing with this condition.
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Tip For Dealing With Negative Elderly Parents
Your mom is upset because youre forcing her to go to an appointment she doesnt want or feel the need to attend. Your father is angry because you couldnt visit yesterday, despite the fact you had to take your own child to the doctor. You try, and you try, but no matter how much effort you put into caring for your elderly parents, you always seem to get it wrong.
Caring for a depressed or negative elderly parent can make you question everything youre doing. You find yourself asking questions plagued with self-doubt, like:
- Am I a bad son or daughter?
- Did I make a mistake?
- Am I hurting more than Im helping?
- Am I horrible for not wanting to do this anymore?
Take a deep breath and realize youre not alone. In the US alone, more than 2 million citizens that are 65 and older suffer from depression to some degree. Coming from a generation of which 68% know very little or nothing about this mental health issue, and nearly 58% actually think its normal.
This negativity you face day in and day out may be new or it may have been there all along. However, that doesnt make it your fault. In order to tackle the problem, you have to understand it.
Here are a few tips to help you reduce the negativity, or at least find some reprieve when dealing with elderly parents who suffer from these ailments.
How A Former Abortion Doctor Became Pro
As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on the abortion issue. Patti tells the story of her long journey from abortion doctor to pro-life and encourages listeners to share the message of life with compassion.
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Is It Really Depression
In order to be able to catch any warning signs early, the first thing you need to do is understand what depression really is.
Many people confuse sadness with depression, but they are very different things. In fact, sadness might not even be the predominant symptom if your loved one is suffering from depression.
Medication And Older Adults
As you get older, body changes can affect the way medicines are absorbed and used. Because of these changes, there can be a larger risk of drug interactions among older adults. Share information about all medications and supplements youre taking with your doctor or pharmacist.
Use this worksheet to help track your medications.
Treatment, particularly a combination of psychotherapy and medications, has been shown to be effective for older adults. However, not all medications or therapies will be right for everyone. Treatment choices differ for each person, and sometimes multiple treatments must be tried in order to find one that works. It is important to tell your doctor if your current treatment plan isnt working and to keep trying to find something that does.
Some people may try complementary health approaches, like yoga, to improve well-being and cope with stress. However, there is little evidence to suggest that these approaches, on their own, can successfully treat depression. While they can be used in combination with other treatments prescribed by a persons doctor, they should not replace medical treatment. Talk with your doctor about what treatment might be good to try.
Dont avoid getting help because you dont know how much treatment will cost. Treatment for depression is usually covered by private insurance and Medicare. Also, some community mental health centers may offer treatment based on a persons ability to pay.
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Diagnosing Depression In Seniors
Family members and caregivers should familiarize themselves with the signs of depression in seniors because mental health issues in older adults are commonly overlooked or mistaken for other health conditions. If you notice any warning signs, its important to encourage your loved one to seek medical help for depression.
While this first step is often intimidating, its easiest to start by making an appointment with a seniors family doctor or primary care physician . Most older adults have a trusted PCP they have been seeing for many years. This rapport helps patients feel more comfortable broaching the subject and makes it easier for doctors to make initial recommendations based on a patients medical history and personality. This established baseline is very important for monitoring changes in an elders mood, behavior and functioning over time.
During the appointment, the doctor will ask about the seniors symptoms, all medications they are taking and how changes in their mood impact their day-to-day life. They should then perform a physical exam to see if new or worsening symptoms of depression could be caused by an underlying health problem or side effects of a medication the patient is taking.