Aging
and Mental Health • Late-Life
Mental Health Afflictions •
Livng with Late-Life Mental Illness •
How Family and Friends Can Help
Having
sound mental health as an adult does not make a person immune
from psychiatric problems later in life. Elderly individuals
can also suffer from mental illness. Fortunately, these
disorders can usually be diagnosed and treated successfully;
few elderly people, however, actually seek help. Many older
people simply do not understand mental illnesses; some deny
there is a problem; others are ashamed of their problem;
yet others simply dismiss it as a result of getting older.
However, proper treatment and care can reduce or eliminate
the symptoms, returning people to functioning, happier lives.
Aging and Mental Health
Aging is a complex physical, mental, social and
spiritual process. It affects each individual differently.
Some people remain alert and active well into their 90's.
Others seem old in every way as early as their 60's. Some
factors that influence the attitudes and behaviors of older
people include:
These
factors ultimately affect an older person's overall mental
health, causing or complicating one of several mental disorders.
Late-Life Mental Afflications
Some
common mental disorders that afflict elderly people include:
Depression
Depression is a very common mental disorder. It is often
mistaken for "the blues" and therefore goes untreated.
Depression is caused by a number of factors, from chemical
imbalances to environmental influences. There are different
forms of depression, some mild, others more severe. A person
with depression will likely display one or more of the following
behaviors:
- Feelings
of worthlessness, hopelessness, helplessness, total indifference
and/or extreme guilt
- Prolonged
sadness; unexplained crying spells
- Jumpiness
or irritability
- Withdrawal
from formerly enjoyable activities or relationships
- Inability
to concentrate or remember details; indecisiveness
- Noticeable
change in appetite with sudden weight loss or gain
- Changes
in sleep patterns: constant fatigue, insomnia, early waking,
oversleeping
- Physical
ailments that cannot be explained otherwise
- Thoughts
of death or suicide attempts
Dementia
Dementia
is a disorder marked by memory impairment and intellectual
decline and changes in comprehension and judgment, language,
recognition, behavior and personality. While these symptoms
are sometimes thought of as typical signs of growing old,
in reality they reflect underlying illnesses. Only a small
portion of the aging population, roughly 10 percent, suffers
from dementia.
Some
conditions that cause dementia include: Alzheimer's disease,
stroke, brain infections and tumors, Parkinson's or Huntington's
disease, depression, nutritional disorders, excessive medication,
and alcoholism.
Some
of these conditions associated with dementia are not progressive;
they can be stopped or even reversed. It is therefore important
that a physician complete a thorough dementia evaluation.
Alzheimers
Disease
Alzheimers
disease, a leading cause of death in America, is a form
of dementia. It is a disease that causes brain cells to
die, often beginning in a part of the brain that controls
memory. As it spreads, it affects a growing number of intellectual,
emotional and behavioral abilities.
Alzheimers disease usually appears slowly and gradually.
The first symptoms include loss of recent, short-term memory
and mild personality changes, such as mild apathy or social
withdrawal. As the disease progresses, patients have trouble
with abstract thinking, handling money or other personal
affairs, understanding what they are reading or organizing
their days. They may also become irritable, troubled and
less neat in appearance. In the late stages, patients become
seriously confused and disoriented, show significant personality
and emotional changes, develop incontinence and ultimately
become unable to care for themselves.
Scientists
have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of Alzheimers
disease, but they are routinely learning more and more about
this devastating illness. Although Alzheimers itself cannot
be cured, there are significant treatments to help control
the symptoms.
Living
with Late-Life Mental Illness
Because of late-life health conditions, elderly people are
more likely to require a variety of medications. These medications
can interact with each other in a negative way, sometimes
compounded by alcohol use or abuse. Furthermore, the illness
for which these medications are used can result in symptoms
that resemble certain mental illnesses.
It is important that elderly people be aware of their medications
and overall physical health status and work closely with their
physicians to find regimens that are safe and effective.
How Family and Friends Can Help
Reaching elder years can bring about changes - physical, mental,
emotional and social - that can affect one's life. Many are
not ready to accept this change, and it can therefore be a
difficult experience. Family and friends can help by offering
emotional support - understanding, patience, affection and
encouragement.
Family and friends can also help by becoming involved in their
loved one's mental and physical well-being. This may involve
encouraging him or her to seek or to stay with treatment,
going with the patient to the doctor, or even monitoring whether
the patient is taking medication.
Caring
for an elderly person can be demanding, stressful and emotionally
taxing on family and friends. Many organizations are dedicated
to providing support for these people as well.
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