Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Depression

Depression in the elderly



Though depression is not a normal or necessary part of aging, many elderly persons face the risk of suffering from this problem owing to significant changes in life. Affecting the person in totality, depression is a whole body disorder which makes the patient sick both physically and mentally.

Old age depression is a matter of concern because it turns out to be a devastating condition not only for the patient but also for the whole family. One can visualise the description of depression in ancient ayurvedic texts as “kaphaj unmada”.

Older adults with a family history of depression are more prone to be afflicted by it. Loneliness and isolation coupled with the feeling of purposelessness due to retirement or cessation of an active lifestyle many times bring depressive mood changes in elderly people. Similarly, prolonged or chronic illness and disability and some prescription medicines can also trigger depression. Fear of death, anxiety over financial burdens, health issues and bereavement in the shape of death of spouse or a close friend result in depression in many old people.

Quite often recognising depression in the elderly unless it is acute is difficult because there are many other signs and symptoms which actually mask it. The patient may simply feel sad and fatigued and lose interest in hobbies and other pleasurable pastimes resulting in social withdrawal.

The sleep pattern also gets disturbed, and many aged persons having depression feel difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep while some others may oversleep. Loss of appetite, negative thinking, less interest in personal make-up and hygiene, worries about being a burden, self-loathing, irritability and increasing the use of alcohol are some of the important signs of depression in older adults.

Many elderly persons may deny feeling sad or depressed, still they have a major depression problem. Most of the times unexplained aches and pains, low motivation and other complaints which are incompatible with the clinical findings too have their origin in a depressive state of mind.

Another old age problem called dementia often gets confused with depression. It should be remembered that in dementia the mental decline happens slowly and the patient remains confused and disoriented even in familiar situations and his other cognitive skills are also impaired.

Depression interferes with a person’s ability to seek help besides robbing him of energy, vibrancy and, to some extent, self-esteem. Many depressed seniors, raised in an era when psychiatric illnesses were stigmatised, are too ashamed to talk about their problem. Depression is less likely to happen in the case of those who remain active and are socially interactive.

Maintaining a healthy diet, a regular exercise schedule and staying positively connected with family members and friends and enjoying leisure time with satisfying hobbies definitely improve the life of elderly people. In case depression is increasing, professional help becomes necessary.

Since depressive illness has a complex ateopathogenesis and variable clinical presentations, ayurvedic researchers like their allopathic counterparts are trying hard to re-evaluate their approach to find an appropriate remedy for it. Apart from the panchkarma therapy and many classical medicines, combinations of many herbs like Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera), Jyotishmati (Celastrus Paniculatus), Kapikachhu (Mucuna Pruriens) and St. John’s Wort (Hypericum Perforatum) are being worked upon to find a safe and suitable medicine for geriatric depression.so keep in touch

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