Elderly Depression

27/04/2012

|TREATMENT| Why should anyone ever have thought that ECT was a sensible way to treat a mental disorder? ECT consists of passing an electrical current through the brain to produce an epileptic fit – hence the name, electro-convulsive. On the face of it, this sounds bizarre. The idea developed from the observation that, in the days before there was any kind of effective medication, some people with depression or schizophrenia, and who also had epilepsy, seemed to feel better after having a fit. Research suggests that the effect is due to the fit rather than the electrical current. Many doctors believe that severe depression is caused by problems with certain brain chemicals. It is thought that ECT causes the release of these chemicals and, probably more importantly, makes the chemicals more likely to work and so help recovery.

27/04/2012

|TREATMENT| Antidepressants affect the levels of brain chemicals, such as serotonin and norepinephrine. Give antidepressants a few weeks of use to take effect. Good follow-up with doctor is important to evaluate their effectiveness and make dosage adjustments. If the first medication tried doesn't help, there's a good chance another will. The combination of talk therapy and medication appears particularly effective. (WebMD.com)

11/04/2012

|TREATMENT| Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment in older people with depressive disorder.
This a type of psychotherapy (or "talk therapy") that is based on the theory that psychological symptoms are related to the interaction of thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. In cognitive behavioral therapy, the therapist and patient will work on identifying and directly changing thoughts and behaviors that may be maintaining symptoms.

http://cherished79.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/cognitive-behavior-therapy-eases-anxiety-for-older-people/ -16568

The technique lessens worries more than usual care, study finds TUESDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) — For older adults, anxiety is an increasingly common problem, and new research suggests that...

10/04/2012

PET scan of the brain for depression. A PET scan can compare brain activity during periods of depression (left) with normal brain activity (right). An increase of blue and green colors, along with decreased white and yellow areas, shows decreased brain activity due to depression.

09/04/2012

Here are a few signs of depression in the elderly:

-Elderly depressed people may complain about minor ailments such as gas or constipation, rather than openly say they are sad or lonely. Many elderly express their depression through pacing, wringing their hands, or constantly worrying about money, their health or current events.
-They may not attend to their personal hygiene habits
-They are apathetic or indifferent to activities they once enjoyed
-They may not be able to sleep or eat and these symptoms may be disguised as other health concerns
-The elderly person may have a new fixation about death and dying.

06/04/2012

DepNet is an information site on the Internet dedicated to people affected by depression and related diseases where you find relevant disease information and advice about support.

http://en.depnet.org/

Feelings When you are depressed, negative thoughts race through your mind. These may be about:yourself, e.g. "I am a bad person", "I can never do anything right" and "I am not good enough" other people, e.g.…

01/04/2012

The population in our country is growing older and living longer. With our ever-increasing senior population, elderly depression might be a growing problem. Lets have a knowledge on this issue. With seniors, our one-on-one care can help them through feelings of anxiety, loneliness and depression. That could mean direct counseling, dealing with special health care needs, or even something as basic as better nutrition – whatever it takes to keep seniors living well.

31/03/2012

You do not need to enroll in a formal class just to recognize if your elderly mom, dad, uncle or aunt is experiencing this condition. You simply need to be a little observant and you will soon realize that the problem is indeed elderly depression.

http://elderly-depression.com/helpful-tips-in-the-identification-of-elderly-depression

Elderly depression can be a little bit tricky especially if you are not knowledgeable of the specific traits that are related to this condition. Nevertheless

31/03/2012

Symptoms of elderly depression

30/03/2012

A short video on depression in the nursing home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Lzq33NcwI&feature=player_embedded

Despite the perception that being elderly leads to being lonely and sad, clinical depression is a mental illness that is not "normal" in anyone. http://menta...

30/03/2012

''Without mental health, there is no health at all'' (David Satcher, 1999)

30/03/2012

Yes it is :)